A fellow Lutheran blogger has graciously offered us a guest post on learning to write when you don’t have time, or at least not much! Thank you, Anna Mussmann, and you are welcome to write here any time!
Monthly Archives: February 2016
When to Submit
“When to submit?” How is that for a loaded question these days? But, with pretty much only the weekend remaining, when is a good time to submit a piece of writing for a contest or deadline? Would “time to spare” make you second-guess yourself or present well-needed, hopefully well-earned, closure?
Filed under Uncategorized
Levity and Longevity
There are only four days left in the hymn competition, and you may or may not be getting sick of hearing or thinking about it. Yep, it’s been months now, and the long haul is almost over. So here’s a bit of levity and longevity as the final stages of writing project weariness sets in.
Filed under Wordplay
Means of Grace
I’ve worked up three possible entries for the hymn contest (six days left!). While part of me liked the idea of playing around with the famous Reformation phrases and expressions, you know, like by grace through faith and justification, what I turned out really emphasized the means of grace.
Since we are nearing the end of this writing exercise—It’s increasingly clear to me that that’s what this is for me, rather than a seriously competitive entry!—it’s been pretty good. It’s been a rather devotional experience with a nicely theological depth to it. How do we confess our faith, and how do we do it with others? What elements of Scriptural imagery and vocabulary leap quickest to our tongues (and typing)? Are there things we avoid, or things that prove extra tricky? For me, lately, I kept returning, again and again, to the means of grace. Continue reading
Hymn Example
Seven days left for the hymn contest! To encourage you, I asked a hymn-writer if he could offer us a glimpse into something he’s written: a hymn example for our consideration with a little of his thinking behind it. Rev. Mark Preus, who writes Lutheran poetry especially in its hymnic form at Revive Lutheran Hymns, kindly responded with the following. Would any more of you hymn-writers like to share and so encourage? Just let me know!
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns
Getting into Hymn-Writing
Getting into hymn writing is obviously a personalized road, so I asked one of the most creative people I (cyber-) know, Kelly Klages, artist extraordinaire, about her own experience. Now, before we read her compelling narrative, I’d like to remind you that there are eight days left for the 2016 Reformation hymn contest. To further encourage you to write for it, this blog will focus more or less on hymn-writing for the next week before returning to our regularly scheduled, semi-random, writing-related variety. For your contemplation . . . Continue reading
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns, Theological reflection, Writer's Life
Lutheran Novelists
My inner novelist remains within, at this point, but just the other day I overheard a great testament that many of us are born to weave fiction! My seven-year old was skyping with her six-year old cousin, and my niece was telling mighty tales, fraught with intricacies. Ladies and gentlemen, there are Lutheran novelists among us. But, when they’ve grown up and actually written their novels, how can we find them? Are they hidden away in a sea of different publishers and Amazon? No longer! I am pleased to present you with . . .
Filed under As Theological Writers, Audiences, Books to Purchase, Resource
Doxologies
One of the tricky things about writing hymns these days is that we are as likely as ever to be well-versed in hymns from before us. And, I don’t know, how many Doxologies can exist without repeating other hymns?
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns
Writer Closure
Closure can be an illusion in a relationship, but it seems pretty concrete to a Writer. (That’s it, I used the capital W for those of us swimming against the tide in a committed fashion. I may never use it so again.) Continue reading
Filed under As Christian Writers, Writer Troubles
Saying Too Much
They say editing is an art, and, whether you’re editing yourself or someone else, I believe it. Saying too much can come so easily, written or spoken, that it affects just about every genre! Though writing dialogue can be hard, I guess the dialogue between writer and audience bears some of the same challenges.
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns, Writer Troubles, Writing Exercises