Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals, she’s studying the art and craft of fiction with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband Mike, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.

Congratulations Julie Williams, Lori Sinclair and Sue Tornai.

Each winner will receive a hardcover copy of Michael Hyatt’s new book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. They will also receive the 7 free bonuses offered to help them create solid writing platforms.

Thanks to all who entered our give away. I wish we could send each of you this package.

There’s still time for you to purchase the book and receive the 7 free bonuses.

After May 25, the bonuses will not be available. I hope you’ll take advantage of this generous offer.

Our friend Michael Hyatt, one of the top bloggers in the world and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, has just released an amazing new book for anyone with something to say or sell. It’s called Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

“I have watched Michael Hyatt build his own platform from the ground up to become one of the largest in the world. And he has done so with the strategies and tips he outlines in this very practical book. Any author, speaker, or business owner who wants a blueprint for getting the attention and visibility they want, needs to read this book.”

-JOHN C. MAXWELL

For your book to succeed in the market today, you must possess two key assets:

1. A great book– your book must have a compelling story or premise and be very well written.

2. A solid platform– an avenue to get your message to the people who will most benefit from it.

It is now easier, less expensive and more possible than ever to build a platform. Michael Hyatt will show you how.

Platform offers a step-by-step guide with proven strategies, practical tips and easy-to-replicate formulas. It is like having a platform-building coach walk you through the process.

As a writer, developing your platform is critical for your success.

BONUS OFFER: To celebrate the launch of the book this week, Michael is giving away $375.98 worth of free bonus content for those who purchase the book between May 21 and May 25. Complete details are available at http://michaelhyatt.com/platform

Bonuses include: Platform Video Jumpstart Program (six sessions), How to Write a Winning Book Proposal (two e-books and two audio sessions), Why NOW is the Best Time Ever to Be an Author (hour-long video), Digital Versions of Platform (audio and eBook), and more!

Do yourself and your future a favor, get this book today, take advantage of Michael’s bonus content and start building or expanding your platform right away!

Today only: Inspire will give a copy of Platform, including the 7 free bonus gifts to 3 of our readers. Enter now for your chance to win this package and build the platform you need. To enter, leave a brief comment telling us what building a platform means to you.

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5, NIV

Thank You, Lord, for those seasons of waiting through which You reveal Your grace and immeasurable love for us.

Help us remember Your sovereign goodness, depend on Your faithfulness of character, and rejoice in Your constant presence.

When waiting is hard, remind us that You’re never late.

When waiting is wearing us out, show us if we’re trying to do things in our own strength instead of allowing You to empower and equip us.

When waiting is lonely, give us courage to be still as You brush burdens off our shoulders and into Your capable hand.

Keep our eyes on the glory of the cross when the wait seems endless.

Bless us with peace and contentment that reflects our hope in You, not our circumstances.

Thank You for loving us too much to rush Your perfect plan for our lives.

You alone are worthy of our praise, Abba. We trust You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

What is your greatest struggle when you are in a season of waiting? How has the Lord helped you to persevere?

If you are not already following Michael Hyatt’s blog, you really should. He blogs about intentional leadership, productivity, publishing, and social media. He is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing and served as CEO until he chose to step down to pursue his writing and speaking full-time. He generously shares his experience and expertise on his blog and in his book.

Over the past several years, I have watched as Michael grew his platform to over 400,000 monthly blog readers and 122,000 Twitter followers.

When he asked his readers to apply for a spot on his launch team, over 900 of us did. Imagine having 900 people who want to help you launch your book!

Only 100 were selected. As a part of his team, I received an advance copy of Platform, which I read and reviewed on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and ChristianBook.com.

The launch team members have been sharing notes and reviews with each other while we brainstorm ways to improve our own platforms. We are also learning directly from Michael. So far, it has been a powerful experience.

I am getting an education in both building a platform and launching a book. I’m excited about the impact this education will have for Inspire as I implement what I’m learning.

As a writer, you will need to build a platform, too. I highly recommend Michael’s book as the blueprint for creating the platform you need to get your message, your book in front of people where it can minister to them.

Platform will be released the week of May 21st. But don’t buy it yet! Michael is offering seven free bonus gifts valued at $375 when you purchase the book during the release week. I will blogging more about this next week, so stay tuned!

What has been your biggest challenge in building your own platform? What unexpected blessings have come from building your platform?

Elizabeth M. Thompson leads Inspire Christian Writers. When she’s not writing devotionals, she’s studying the art and craft of fiction with her Inspire Elk Grove group. She enjoys connecting with other writers via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

She has an active home which she shares with her fabulous husband, three children, two dogs and a few errant dust bunnies.

Hmm, tricky question, because I count myself as having joined twice, the first before you had official membership. After about a year in the group, I took a two year hiatus due to working with someone on copy edits for both my short novel and current full length novel. Seeing as how my novel still needs a lot of work, I recently joined again.

What prompted you to join Inspire?

Knowing that iron sharpens iron and the value of being in such a group, and how it increases the learning curve, after hearing about Inspire from Chris Pedersen at church, I started attending the El Dorado Hills group facilitated by Joanne Kraft. No disappointment there, Inspire was just what I needed. I’m ecstatic to be back and love the group of gals in our group. But I’ll really miss Joanne!

When did you first know you were a writer?

That first inkling came while in Jr. High. My English teacher gave us an assignment to write a poem and I got an A. She posted said poem on the bulletin board for parents’ night. Then in high school, another English teacher had us write a short story, my first. We all had questions about how you go about it, and she said something to the effect, “Take a situation from life, real or imagined, and think, ‘what if’ such and such were to happen, and write a story.”

I got an ‘A’ and not only that, she read my story to the class. I remember Gary sitting next to me asking, “How’d you do that?” I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I don’t know, I just did what she said.”

The teacher urged my parents to get me to take journalism in college. Go ahead and laugh … I had no idea what journalism was. And I had no inclination to go to college. To shorten an already long story, let’s just say, while laid up with a badly broken ankle (a whole month!) in my forties, I felt the Lord calling me to write for Him. Shortly after, a friend told me about a writing correspondence course through Long Ridge Writers Group. I took the test and they accepted me into their program. I’ve since graduated two of their courses.

It must’ve been during the first course that I realized I was a writer. Sounds like I’m talking about the first course of a meal…

Describe your writing career high point and low point.

My career high happened at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in 2010. I pitched Kellen’s Hope to Rachel Kent with Books and Such Literary Agency and she asked me to send her the complete manuscript and synopsis. Career low point, when I could no longer concentrate to write due to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. To learn more about that story, you’ll have to read “What to do with Those Lemons” in the new Inspire Trust anthology.

How did you react when you received your first acceptance or publication?

Bubbling over with joy! My first is in Inspire Trust, which just became available. I pray those who read my story (as well as the others stories) will be … well, inspired, encouraged and uplifted by the greatness of our God.

What project of yours is gathering dust?

I’ve heard writer’s say your first novel is trash—good learning ground—but I believe my first story has merit, and with a lot of work, could be publishable.

What’s next for you?

I’m still reworking Kellen’s Hope, but I also started a sequel. I’m not sure if I have enough to make it work, so we’ll see. I’m also attending the Christian Communicators Conference this summer in hopes of launching my speaking ministry.

What does it mean to you to be a writer?

It’s a privilege, a high calling to write for the Master Creator. Wow! And how wonderful that He not only calls and equips, but the joy I receive in the process. I can hardly find the words to describe how it makes me feel.

I hope to make a difference with my novels by creating a world that reins my readers in and causes them to care about the characters, to evoke emotions that leave them breathless, whether anger, joy or tears—to touch their hearts. But most of all, to tell a compelling story with nuggets of truth scattered throughout in hopes that God will use it in some way to affect them on a spiritual level.

Writing a story that captivates a reader’s heart is a wonderful process, but it takes perseverance, hard work and many rewrites. I’ve learned to love the process. Tightening and finding just the right word, and making a sentence sing, is a joy. And having the Holy Spirit as a writing partner is awesome.

I’ve often come to the end of a scene and didn’t know where to go next. After talking to Him, not more than a few minutes later I have an idea. We serve an incredible God!

Was there a book that changed your life?

Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness opened my eyes in a deeper way to the workings in the spiritual realm. I wanted to write that kind of story even before I felt the call to write. My short novel Where Darkness Dwells is along those lines. I also love Oswald Chambers’ devotional My Utmost for His Highest, which brought deeper insight into scripture and increased my faith. It brought more depth in my walk with the Lord.

Describe your writing environment. Or better yet, include a photo.

I’m blessed to have two writing environments, but I’ll only share a photo of my home writing space. The other, where I now am, is our condo on Bainbridge Island, WA. I’m sitting at the kitchen table facing the windows enjoying a lovely view on this clear, crisp, sunny day. I love my home space, too. Outside past the patio and grass to the right is our Koi pond and straight back beyond the lawn, above two terraces on the hill, a grand 150 year old black oak rests. We built our dream home, a country Victorian, on 1.2 acres almost ten years ago on a deer trail.

Last week while online, I looked out the window and saw a doe laying on our lower lawn not more than a foot and a half from our porch chewing her cud. It wasn’t until a couple days later I went out to feed the Koi and saw that she had nipped off almost all the flowers on my potted plants, the little darling.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

Linda Hall, my first writing instructor, said, “Lose the Christian jargon and don’t write down to your readers.” It took awhile before I got what she meant, but I’ve gained a better understanding. I don’t want to lose readers because of Christianese, a language they won’t get if they haven’t been raised in the Church.

You can visit Danie Marie on Facebook or on her blog, Danie Marie’s Musings.

The 2012 Write to Inspire Conference takes place on July 20 and 21. Have you marked your calendars? Have you registered? Have you entered the contests? It’s time!

Inspire Christian Writers sponsors this dynamic two-day conference. This year we have that popular literary agent Chip MacGregor and Thunder Dog author Susy Flory as our presenters. Wow. I don’t know if you are impressed, but I am.

In conjunction with this marvelous conference, there are two contests:

Writing Contest—Two First Place winners (one fiction, one nonfiction) will receive an in-depth critique from Chip MacGregor. Four runners-up will receive Amazon.com gift cards and a signed book!

One Sheet Pitching Contest—Twelve winners will pitch their projects to Chip at the conference for possible representation.

All contests are now open!

Enter now or follow the link for more information.

Don’t forget to check over the judge’s form—you will know from this what the judges will be looking for.

Don’t miss the rules—before you submit, check off each item to make sure it’s done before you hit that “send” button.

You may enter as many manuscripts as you like, so long as you pay the fee for each submission. You may submit a manuscript for either fiction or nonfiction (or both) AND for the one sheet.

Excited yet? I am. As contest coordinator, I can’t enter the contests, but I’m so jazzed by the entries! Each one is a possibility, a chance to introduce the Lord to readers, and an opportunity to show God how much you love Him.

The prospect of winning a contest is so much more than the hope of getting a prize, isn’t it? Get ready, get set, GO!

Anne Baxter is a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who loves to write. She authored two children’s books, Maybe Wins and Everybody Needs a Name. She writes a blog, A Pew Perspective. In her spare time, Anne enjoys leadership roles in her church, ACFW, Inspire Christian Writers, and Toastmasters.

I am pleased to introduce to you, Marci Seither, two-time winner of the Guidepost Contest, and facilitator of Inspire’s “How to Write for the Guidepost Contest” training class, Saturday, May 19, 2012.

I love the story you tell of how you started your writing career. Would you share it with our Inspire writers?

I never thought I’d be a writer. I wasn’t a reader in school. When I had to write book reports in High School, I made up the stories and got A’s. I was probably the only student at Ponderosa High School who was ever demoted from the electric typewriter to the manual. That’s how bad of a typist I was. It’s proof that God will take the least likely person and do something with her for His glory. Yet, I’ve always told stories. That didn’t make me a writer. When we lived in Minnesota, I wrote to my mom in e-mails or faxes, keeping her up to date with what the kids did. She told me, “Honey, you should submit some of these to a paper and get published because they are so funny.” I told her they were only funny because she knew us.

“No, no,” she said. “Everyone in the whole office loves getting these.”

“The whole office?” I asked.

Another friend told me, “If you ever want to write, I’ll edit some of your stuff.”

So I said, “I’m going to get some of this off my bucket list and make my mom happy.” I took a stack of my e-mails to my friend and we picked out what we thought would be the best one to clean up. It was a humor piece about making Valentine cookies with my kids. We made six for each kid. Then we added a stick of gum. That ran in the local paper and I ended up with a column. When the editor returned from vacation, she said she loved what I wrote and asked me to write a humor column once a month. I can’t use any of those stories today because they are so poorly written. That’s how I got started and it’s been an incredible journey. It wasn’t something I thought of pursuing, but I’m still at it. I still think of myself as a mom who writes.

Tell us how you got the Word on the Street Girl position.

I got that because I’m a pain in the rear. The paper switched editors and I knew Gloria. I completed a writing correspondence course and worked for the Auburn Journal. I learned when God closes a door that means that something else will come up and it’s important to wait with anticipation.

I took a story idea to the editor at the Colfax Record, but she said she had that covered. The next week I was back in her office. “Is someone covering Operation Mom?” I asked. “I’ll be there taking photos.

“Well, okay,” she said. “If you want to take photos and write a small article, go ahead and have it to me by Friday.”

I made sure I had it to her by Thursday.

“Okay, this looks good,” she said. “And by the way, we need someone for the Word on the Street. Would you be interested in taking photos and doing the Word on the Street?” I interviewed 312 people each year and took their photos for three years.

Tell us how you won the Guidepost Contest.

I won the Guidepost story contest in 2010. At the time my editor said, “Some day you might grow past the Colfax Record.” Some of my stories were published in both the Auburn Journal and the Colfax Record. That was 20,000 readers and I was happy with that. I told her, “No, no. I am sticking with you. Your last day is my last day. I would donate a kidney to you.” I enjoyed that working relationship and the freedom of thinking of the stories, writing them up, taking them in and having her say, “Yeah, we’re gonna use this.”

I thought of my life as a pie and writing was only a piece of it. Writing for the local paper consumed most of that and I was still a mom who wrote. Then last year I won the True Grit award here at Mount Hermon. Someone said this will be the start of a new career for you. You’ll look back and say, “This is when my career took off.” My response was, “No, no. I’m the Word on the Street Girl, and I work for the Colfax Record.” I thought God might have something for me, but I don’t feel I can close the door on this. On the way home from Mount Hermon I got a text message that Gloria would be transferred to Loomis-Lincoln. I laughed and thought whatever God had in store for me, I would wait with anticipation. I’m still transitioning into whatever that will be. The point is, we are not in control of where our words go. We are in control of waiting and preparing for when God establishes the work of our hands.

Would you tell us what is involved in winning the Guidepost Contest and the True Grit Award?

They are a little tied together. The True Grit Award is in honor of a young woman who died of Cystic Fibrosis. I was in Kay’s mentoring clinic with her. Her name is Lauren Vyhoff. The True Grit award is for someone who perseveres despite adversity. Someone who doesn’t give up, someone who has true grit. It has nothing to do with writing ability.

In 2010 we lost our home in foreclosure. We were in construction and our home was part of our collateral for our business. Devastating. It was a house we built from scratch. My husband was the builder. We had a lot of sweat equity, inheritance for our kids. At that point I almost quit writing. I told my husband my dreams were shattered. I just wanted to be a WalMart greeter.

What inspired you to write for the Guidepost Contest?

My friend, Lisa Bogart. I’m in her knitting book. We had such a fun time. We’ve known each other from Mount Hermon. She interviewed me for her book and said, “It’s too bad we only see each other once a year. Wouldn’t it be great if we both won the Guidepost Contest? And we could both go to New York and be roommates for a week?” We started helping each other by critiquing each other’s work. Then when we lost our home, I told my husband, “I don’t want to spend 47 cents to be told I’m a loser again.” I didn’t want to go to the post office and pay the money for the stamp.

Lisa knew what was going on and she wrote, “I know things are hard. Just send it.” So I did. I didn’t think I could write anymore because I was in grief. When Guidepost called me, I thought they wanted me to renew my subscription. Then they told me I won. I wanted to call Lisa, but then I thought, this was the second time she entered. What if she didn’t win?

Lisa found out she won but she didn’t want to call me because she didn’t know I won. We both called Kay Marshall Strom and told her and she wrote to both of us and said, “I’m so proud both of you are going to New York together.” That changed everything for me. No one knew about us losing our home, but a story came out in the paper that I was going to New York and that we just lost our home. I didn’t think they would want me to write for them because I thought they wanted reputable people working with them. It was a good thing. It told me the Lord still has a plan. Stay the course. The True Grit is a “stay the course” award. I was humbled because I know people go through stuff that’s a lot worse.

The story that won the Guidepost Contest was a ghost written story about how prayer changes things. It was a story I had written for the newspaper during National Red Cross week.  The paper wanted a human interest story with CPR Saturday as their sidebar. “Get people to care about that,” the editor said. I knew someone who was part of a dramatic rescue. Although he didn’t have a CPR certification, he prayed, “Please Lord, tell me what to do.” The title of the story was “One Man’s Call for Help is Another Man’s Answer to Prayer.”

You said you won a second Guidepost contest. How did that happen?

Everyone who has gone through the workshop, can go to a refresher course by submitting stories to a second contest. I just found out I won with my recent  submission and I leave for the workshop on April 18.

So you’ll be able to tell us about that at Inspire’s “How to Write for Guidepost” training class?

Absolutely.

Thank you, Marci, for taking time to tell us about your writer journey. We are inspired by your enthusiasm and perseverance.

Author of more than ninety articles and stories, Sue Tornai, lives in Carmichael, California with her husband, John, and dog, Maggie. She leads an Inspire critique group in Fair Oaks, California and facilitates writer’s workshops. Visit her at www.suetornai.com.

Photo credit: Lauren Pfahlert

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever−do not abandon the works of your hands.” Psalm 138:8, NIV

Lord, You are worthy of all our praise.

“I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need.” (Psalm 138:2-3, NLT)

Thank You for solidifying Your trustworthiness.

Thank You for assuring us of Your presence, for confirming Your sovereign plan will not be thwarted by things of this world.

Squelch our fears and clear our vision with Your truth.

Charge us up with endurance, courage and hope.

Affirm Your promises are more than enough and Your grace is sufficient.

Nothing can separate us from You, Lord.

Help us write in confidence and blessed assurance of Your guiding hand and nurturing love.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How do we know if we are trying to accomplish things in our own strength instead of leaning on God?