Highlighting Blogs and Blogging

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

Each week CWD's faithful team of bloggers share wisdom and inspiration, challenge, inform and entertain on the Christian Writers' Downunder blog (aka here!)

What is a blog and why do we do it?

A blog (shortened from Web Log) is a site that shares regular entries or posts on a website. Generally, the latest blog is posted first, with blogs available in a chronological order - though Labels, the Search box or the Menu Bar (to your right) can help you access particular topics or posts. 

Blogs can be personal like a web diary sharing certain aspects of a person's experience - say about a trip around the world, or daily (mis)adventures as a parent, or an interest in a hobby.

Blogs can also be used by businesses, organisations,  or creatives as part of a platform - i.e. to build a presence or visibility, to engage with clients or fans, and to share relevant information - like new releases or achievements.  

They can also be group blogs (like Christian Writers Downunder and the Australasian Christian Writers blogs), where bloggers take turns to blog sharing their experiences and knowledge on a common subject or interest. 

What about Christians Writers Downunder Blog?

The CWD blog's primary aim is to serve our members through posts from our member bloggers (and the occasional special guest) with inspiring and practical blogposts about writing and the writer's life as informed by our experiences and faith. 

It also provides a platform for our members - to share our triumphs and wins (as in the quarterly Highlights posts), help introduce our members (in the Meet Our Members Posts) or share information from our sister groups (Cross posts with Omega Writers and Australasian Christian Writers).

And for our bloggers - it gives an opportunity to find and develop a voice through blogging and to help visibility in the vast trackless ocean of the interwebs. 

Comments can also encourage the blogger and provide interaction between members. Though in recent years, comments on the the Blogger platform has become more difficult to some. We also share the link to the blog in the Facebook group, and responses can be made in the comments of the post, sparking interaction in the group.

Personal Blogs

Many of our members have their own personal blogs that are worth checking out. 

*Paula Vince blogs about books and always has an interesting take on the Vince Review
*Nola Lorraine (aka Nola Passmore) gives tips on craft, interviews other authors and put interesting quizzes at Nola Lorraine. 
*Jo-Anne Berthelsen's inspirational blogs Jo-Anne's Berthelsen's Blog gets one thinking.
*Adam Collings not only has a blog but also regular You-tube blogs and podcasts.
*Mazzy Adams also adds her Musings to her website - Mazzy's Musings
*Lynne Stringer includes a blog about sci-fi and writing - Lynne Stringer Author and Editor
*I also have a blog (a little neglected of late) with updates, interviews, reviews etc. Jeanette O'Hagan Writes (by the Light of Two Moons)

Some Changes A Foot

Christian Writers Downunder started as a Yahoo group in 2009, with the very first blog post in 2010. CWD is on Facebook, and over the last 13 years,  CWD has expanded from a few enthusiastic members to over 1300 members.  The blog has over one thousand posts. It has had a few minor changes in format over that time in terms of frequency of blogs, different feature bloggers, and new members of the blog team, but it has basically continued in the same format. 

This year we will be making a few minor changes. 

While Monday mornings have been the primary time for our Blog team share posts, we will be switching this to Thursdays, with every second Monday reserved for the Highlight, Behind the Scenes , Meet Our Members, Fifteen Great Picks, and Admin announcement Posts and the Omega Writers Cross-posts. 

So, remember to keep an eye out on Mondays and Thursdays for the CWD blog - be inspired, encouraged, informed and challenged in your journey as a writer.  

Are you a blogger - what joys and challenges have you experienced? Do you have some favourite blogs you would like to share with others?

Btw - Did you have a new release or event or brag point that didn't make it to the Highlights Post? Keep an eye out for the next call for information from members - the next Highlights post will be in about 4 weeks, on 3rd April 2023 (for January-March 2023).

Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.

She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad's Legacy series - and new short story in the Starlit Realms: Fantasy anthology.

She is also an avid reader and enjoys tracking down family tree conundrums. 

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram

Fifteen Great Picks from 2020

Throughout the year, our blog team share their insights and wisdom - it may be inspirational, a story of writerly struggles or triumphs; tips about the writing life and writing craft, or an interview of one of our members. Sometimes it's moving, or funny or thought-provoking or all three.. Always, it's the result of thought, research, experience, passion, creativity.

The CWD Admin team would like to give our blog team a huge thank you for your contributions throughout 2020 (and over the last decade).

As we near the end of 2020 which so many have called 'unprecedented', we thought we'd honour our bloggers' contributions with a pick of 15 blogposts that have inspired us this year (in no particular order). Out of over 100 posts, it wasn't easy to choose and there are many other posts equally deserving of notice. We have a wealth of information and inspiration on the blogsite - accessible on multiple subjects and themes.

1. Route 2020 by Jeanette O'Hagan

... In the Bible, there are moments of reflection on the way of what has been achieved (often marked by memorials) and bold promises about the tasks ahead. Mount Sinai, the crossing of the Jordan river, Joshua's declaration that he and his house would follow the Lord, and Jesus' call to follow him.

Sometimes I get so caught up with the day to day, month to month details of what I need to be doing as a Indie writer and become so anxious about what I haven't achieved, that I lose sight of how far I've come. At those times, the road ahead seems daunting, even impossble.

Maybe, the start of 2020 is a great time to tke stock, to remember and to re-group, to see the way ahead. ... Read more here.

2.  Writing Brave (Even if Your Knees are Knocking) by Nola Lorraine

Meltdown in Aisle 3

Last Thursday, I launched my author website with the tagline ‘Weaving Words of Courage and Hope’. I’d come up with that line last year and it seemed like a good fit for most of my writing. Rewind to last Tuesday, and I was standing in the toilet paper aisle at Woollies, fighting back tears because the lady in front of me had grabbed the last pack of toilet paper. ... Read more here.

3. Such a Time as This by Admin Team

“Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings)

This is not the first time the world has been in turmoil (the spread of the Bubonic plague, the invasions of Genghis Khan, two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Spanish Flu, the year without a summer, the Cuban Missile crisis and so on). And it probably won't be the last either. Even so, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feeling we've accidentally wandered onto an apocalyptic movie set. ... Read more here. 

4. The Best Scoop of All by Anusha Atukorala

... Despite the hustle and bustle around me and my frazzled nerves within, the meeting went exceptionally well. Detour or not, sweet melodies now began to hum in my heart. Our local library was willing to organise the launch of my next book ‘Sharing the Journey’. I was delighted to hear how well they’d support me. They promised to even serve wine for my guests at no cost. Oh? Yes! Yes, please!


Afterwards I realised that perhaps my detour was a reminder that the year might not flow as smoothly as I hoped! Plan for detours, I told myself when I got home. Go with the flow, Anusha. Dream on but expect the unexpected. Don’t be fooled into thinking my plans won’t get messed up. I spent the next few weeks making goals and plans for 2020. ... Read more here.

5.  How to Keep Wagging Your Tail During a Pandemic. (By Nikita the ShiChi)

In these tough times of pandemic proportions one of the most encouraging and helpful voices on social media has been Pluto, a miniature schnauzer who has been 'breaking the internets' with her wisdom and humour. If you haven't met Pluto yet, I'll pop a link to her YouTube channel at the end of this blog. She is truely good for the soul. In honour of Pluto and the other dogs and cats encouraging us humans (or two-legs as Pluto calls them) on social media, I decided to invite my dog, Nikita the ShiChi, to guest blog on CWD today :). Over to you Nikita... Read more here. 

6. Life Answer for Sceptics by Julia Archer

... But here’s the thing. Can Christian writers learn anything from this story?

Well, first, that it is a story. A true story, included in Scripture for a reason. Along with all the other forms of writing in Scripture, an honoured place is held by stories. This validates our telling stories to share Christian truth, particularly stories of how God has worked in our lives.

Even fiction is included, unless you hold that the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son and his father and brother were real, historical people ...  Read more here.

7. Blast from the Past - The Lamb that was Slain

This Easter will be like none we've experienced in many decades, but one thing is certain: The DIVINE MESSAGE of love and hope it commemorates IS eternal, from yesterday, for today, tomorrow, and forevermore.


Six years ago, Jeanette O'Hagan asked the question:

"I wonder what Easter means for you?"

She went on to say:

"For me it is a time of reflection and wonderment - that the incarnated divine Son would die for me. It tells me how much God loves and values me. It reminds me that I have new life through Jesus, that He can and will mend the brokenness inside of me and that He is a present and powerful. ... Read more here. 

8.  The Selfless Self-Promotion Conundrum by Ben Morton

... But God gave me talents so that I could use them, not to bury them and wait for him to return. I need to work and my family need to eat. How do I navigate the issue of being a humble follower of Christ when my talent is the thing I have to sell and it seems unanimous that self-promotion is how artists ‘sell themselves?’ Can I actually sell myself when I belong to Christ? ... Read more here

9. She plays the guitar. He runs with the wolves by Kirsten Hart

How many of you spend hours and hours researching what vegetables commoners would be able to afford during winter in the 18th Century, or how bad the storm was in January of 1956, in Sydney? What about how long the average person can hold their breath?


As a writer, we are always researching something, whether you’re a romance author, historical-fiction author, non-fiction author or fantasy author. ... As writers, we need to go out into the world and experience as much as we can. I would never have known the satisfying pain of accomplishment you get in the tips of your fingers if I never started learning to play the guitar. Read more here.

10.  Eyes to See by Jenny Glazebrook

This is a long post, but I wanted to share with you some of the amazing things God has done in my life and my writing over the past few months in the hope that they will encourage you.


God took my vision so that I would see him again.


He slowed me down so that I would hear his still, small voice and work with him to achieve the supernatural, in his way, his time.


He showed me again that writing is worship when I do it with him and that is when he brings about supernatural ideas. He is my limitless inspiration. He is my strength, my life.  Read more here.

11. How to answer the biggest question writers get asked ... by David Rawlings

If you're a writer reading this, you've probably been asked this question as many times as I have.

What do you write?

It's a question that writers get asked because it's a way of connecting with our art; with our ability. It's a way to pigeon-hole what we do and get a sense of who we're like, helping others to understand what we put on the page. It's a way of picturing what we do as an output.

Over the years I've found that people's engagement with that question - outside of the infuriatingly common 'I'm going to write a book one day' - depends on my answer. ... Read more here. 

12. What Makes a Good Book Dedication? by Nola Lorraine

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been giving out gift copies and review copies of my debut novel. Some readers have told me they really enjoyed the book. However, a few people have also said they loved the dedication. I’m glad they liked it, because I put a lot of thought into it, but it got me thinking about other dedications I’ve read. What makes a good one? What things do you need to consider? Do you even need one? ... Read More Here

13.  A Good Yarn by Mazzy Adams

The notes of the Westminster chimes echoed down the hallway, subtly weaving their way into my sleep-sodden psyche, insisting I relinquish my cherished nana-nap. Before dozing off, I'd been researching the etymology of the word yarn. Though I'd discovered a miscellany of interesting facts, the art of spinning the various threads of thought into the fabric of an etymology essay had proved frustratingly elusive. Read More Here. 

14. Writing with Passion - Jo Wanmer

... My dad on the other hand only wrote occasionally. His short letters were eagerly awaited, even if his spider scrawl was hard to read. He died half way through year 12….and the letters stopped. The few I still had I kept for about forty years, and then I reduced them to a few quotes.

Mum’s letters detailed her daily life. Dad’s letters taught me how to live my life.

“If you have 40 men in a hut you have to be extra careful with money and other easily stolen things. But you can usually narrow the field down in a few weeks and in due course you know who it is.”

I can’t remember what I wrote to elicit this response but he used the occasion to teach me. As I recalled his writings after his death, I realized he was trying to prepare me. Did he know his time was limited?

The other author I honor today diid know his time was limited. He wrote with passion to his ‘family’, teaching and exhorting them, cajoling and rebuking them, loving them and discipling them. ... Read more here.

15. Pressing on To Meet our Goals by Ruth Bonetti

... It’s time to stretch my writing muscle.


What goals haunt the too-hard section of your mind and heart?


“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NRSV)

St Paul didn’t always know where he was heading, but trusted God’s driving directions. Read more here. 

...
 

We hope you've enjoyed this selective review of the many great blogs of 2020. And we'd like to thank all our active CWD members and bloggers who interact, comment and support each other and the group - and to wish you all a blessed and joyful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour and Lord and a wonderful New Year in 2021.

Changes in CWD Team

We interrupt our normal programming to make an important announcement.

Life is full of change and this year there will be some changes in the Christian Downunder Admin team, with some new faces and the absence of some old ones.

Thank you for your contributions

Anusha Atukorala has faithfully ministered as part of the CWD Admin team for five years now. She was a welcoming face when I joined the team and a great support when three years ago Nola handed me the baton as coordinator.

You may have noticed that Anusha faithfully posts the links to the CWD blog each Monday and Thursday without fail and with an encouraging comment. When required, she also chooses and posts our blasts from the past, revisiting great posts that are still relevant and inspirational.

Behind the scenes, I've been grateful of Anusha's wisdom and encouragement and prayers.  I'm inspired by her unwavering gratitude and faith in God and her gentle and kind spirit despite the challenges she often faces.

Over the last few months, Anusha has felt the Spirit calling her out from  CWD Admin after five years – and she is looking forward to being an active member of CWD without the admin role.

She says,

"God has been wooing me to more intimacy with Him over the past 20 years. It has been a wonderful, thrilling, challenging, blessed journey with Him. He continues to call me to a deeper walk with Him, to love Him more, to love and encourage others and to shine His love and light in a dark world. I am being intentional in not having a busy life – instead doing only what God asks me to do. A huge challenge in this world where being busy seems to be equated to success especially for writers in the 21st century world. 

I have discovered that LOVE is what life is all about. Not always easy to practice – but how thrilling love of God who woos us and lavishes His love on us. I'm grateful to God for CWD and the gifted, amazing writers in it for their support and encouragement in my writing journey." 

Ansuha will still be with us, blogging and as an active and valuable member of CWD.

Anusha Atukorala

Anusha has been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life.

The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus. She blogs fortnightly at her website Dancing in the Rain sharing God-thoughts and life lessons. Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her second book Dancing in the Rain was released in March 2018 and brings you hope and comfort for life’s tough seasons. She lives in Adelaide with her husband Shan and their son Asela.




I'm also grateful for Paula Vince who will be continuing on in her role on the CWD Admin team. Paula has faithfully reviewed applications of those wanting to join CWD and welcoming new members. She, like Anusha, has been ready to step in the breach when needed, I've appreciated her gentleness and  wisdom when decisions have been required.




Paula Vince is a South Australian author of contemporary, inspirational fiction. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, with its four distinct seasons, and loves to use her environment as settings for her stories. Her novel, 'Picking up the Pieces' won the religious fiction section of the International Book Awards in 2011, and 'Best Forgotten' was winner of the CALEB prize the same year. She is also one of the four authors of 'The Greenfield Legacy', Australia's first and only collaborated Christian novel. Her most recent novel, 'Imogen's Chance' was published April 2014. For more of Paula's reflections, you may like to visit her book review blog, The Vince Review.

Some new faces

As sad as Paula and I are to see Anusha leave the Admin team, we are excited to welcome a new member - Mazzy Adams.

Who is Mazzy Adams?

Mazzy Adams (Cathie Sercombe) is an Australian wife, mother, grandmother, creative and academic writing tutor, and published author with a passion for words, pictures and the positive potential in people. Her poetry, creative non-fiction, short fiction, and spiritual devotions have been published in Australian, US and international print and on-line anthologies. She’s preparing her New Adult Thriller novel, Licence to Die, for Indie publication in the near future. 

Mazzy (Cathie) has an Assoc. Degree in Arts (Creative Writing) from Tabor Adelaide, S.A. and a Cert IV Christian Ministry from World Changers College of Ministry. She lives in Queensland with her beloved husband, and manages their education consultancy business.

Mazzy has been a regular contributor to the Christian Writers Downunder blog for some years. She’s also a member of Omega Writers, Queensland Writers Centre and various Australian online writers' groups. She is most especially delighted, humbled and proud to be one of Toowoomba’s famous (or infamous) Quirky Quills.

Website: www.mazzyadams.com Email: maz@mazzyadams.com

Manage
Welcome to the team, Mazzy



The CWD Admin are also considering adding one or two more people to the admin team over the next few months.

Christian Writers Downunder has now over a thousand members, and we appreciate your contributions and the way you interact and encourage each other.  Our thanks also go to Nola Passmore, who ably lead CWD from 2014-2015, and the original founder of CWD, Lee Franklin.

As Nola said in her 2016 post:

I’ve learned such a lot in the last two years and it’s been a privilege to play a small part in facilitating a group involving such a wonderful bunch of writers, editors, illustrators, publishers and readers.

One of the things we did during my watch was to develop a mission statement for the group. We decided that the main aims of the group were to:

• Glorify God in our writing
• Develop our God-given creative gifts
• Encourage other Christian writers and those in related fields

You can read a longer post about those aims here.

The Admin team are also grateful to the blog team who take time out of full lives and busy schedules to write blogs to encourage and inspire us. And for all the CWD members who take time to respond to fellow CWDers questions, encourage when encouragement is needed, or to participate in Share Wednesday, and to share, recommend, and support fellow writers, editors or illustrators.

Please pause a moment to thank Anusha and welcome Mazzy to the CWD Admin team.

Jeanette O'Hagan, coordinator of Christian Writers Downunder

Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users.

She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children and Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Her latest release, Stone of the Sea (the third novella) is now available. .

You can also find her on:

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

From the Archives: Tips for New Writers

collated by Jeanette O'Hagan



Since its start in 2010, Christian Writers Downunder blogspot has shared a up-welling fountain of encouragement, experience, wisdom about writing for writers.

Today we look at some tips for new writers from our bloggers.

Why Write? 

Passion, vocation, worship?

Many Reasons to Write by Anusha Atukorala

I pondered the fact that having reasons for loving things and loving people is great fuel. Take writing for instance. Why have you chosen to become a writer? Do you know?


I know why I write. It’s because inside this outer covering is a God breathed writer. I believe God has programmed me to write - perhaps there is a wee computer chip called ‘Writer’ embedded deep inside of me? Read more here.

Addicted to Approval? Writing with Purpose ... On Purpose by Josephine-Anne Griffiths

Have you ever questioned what your life’s purpose really is? I know I have.
What motivates me to write? What motivates others to sing or play an instrument?
What makes it worthwhile for each of us to awaken each morning, and do whatever we do over again? Maybe you are an accountant, or drive a truck – or you are a nurse or a teacher. Maybe you are the quiet, shy child at the back of the room, that no one has noticed yet. I am hoping that by telling you why I write and what motivates me, that perhaps you may start thinking about why you do what you do each day, why it is so important to you, and what makes it so motivating and relevant?  Read more here.

Make space and time to write

I Need A Personal Bubble For My Writing Space by K A Hart

A distraction-free writing space. Does anyone have one? I have lived in this house for four years and I still haven’t found the right spot. 

Somewhere that’s comfortable, but not too comfortable. A place with a view or inspirational pictures and famous quotes. Coffee, tea, a few snacks. Music. No music. A clean space, clutter-free. That’s what most writers suggest.


So. Writing space. Where have I made my writing space? Where have I not?! Read more here.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

Practice Makes (Closer Approximations To) Perfect by Nola Passmore

In other disciplines like music and sport, we understand that practice is an important part of skill-building. Sometimes I wonder if we really understand this as writers. We learn the basics of writing at school—grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, spelling. By the time we’re adults, we’ve written essays, reports, letters, and sizzling diary entries declaring our love for David Cassidy and the Osmonds. (Oops – that may have been my diary.) But have we really spent time practising our craft? Here are some reasons why we should value the good ol’ art of practice. Read more here.

Accepting Feedback

Writers: constructive feedback isn't going to kill you by Cecily Ann Paterson

Writing is such a personal thing. We’re told to ‘bleed’ on to the page, in a popular writing meme. We’re told to write what we know, and put our hearts into it. We inhabit our words and search our souls for meaning.

And then we ask for feedback.

And we’re supposed to just sit there and take it. Read more here.

Coping with discouragement

D-Day by Meredith Resce

In recent months, I have faced more than the usual amount of disappointments in both my personal and writing life. I recognise that this has affected my level of positivity, and if we were looking at it on one of those mathematics graphs, it has dipped below zero into negativity a few times.

Read More Here,

Invest wisely and beware of the pitfalls.

Aussie writer on the journey: Publishing pitfalls for new fiction writers by Narelle Atkins

One of the smartest things I did as a new writer was to join professional writing groups and connect with other writers. I gleaned valuable information from writing organisation newsletters, email groups and critique groups that helped me to avoid some of the newbie writer mistakes. There are a couple of things I’ve learned about publishing that I hope will help any new writers reading this post. Read more here.

Don't Do it Alone

All for One, One for All by Jeanette O'Hagan

So most of us don't live in garrets and most of us are not literally starving - though we might be if we tried to feed ourselves from our royalties (if we get royalties). And being seen and heard in a noisy, crowded book market can be daunting. So the struggles of artists and creatives maybe haven't changed that much over the decades, but one thing we don't have to be is lonely.  Read more here.

So ... over to you

Are you just beginning your writing journey? Do any of these things resonate with you? What questions would you like answered?

Have you been adventuring for a while? What would tips would you give to new writers? What things do you wish you'd known when you first started out?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Christian Writers Downunder is aimed at Christians writers (and those associated with writing field, e.g. editors, illustrators, reviewers and publishers) who live in Australasia. We have a dedicated team of regular and guest bloggers who share their experience and wisdom each Monday and Thursday.