It always bugged me that depictions of Christ’s birth show the wisemen there alongside the shepherds. It just isn’t very accurate. Matthew 2 says that “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem†(emphasis added). While I understand the convenience of placing the wisemen at the climax of the … More What the Wisemen Can Teach us About the Epilogue
Sometimes, no matter how many articles or stories you’ve written in the past, there comes a time when you don’t feel very inspired to write. You know you have to write something for a deadline, but you just don’t feel in the write mood (pun intended) to put pen to paper or fingers to the … More Inspire Me
Join us for a discussion of Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien and the joy of storytelling. … More Letters From Father Christmas: The Joy of Storytelling
By the time you are reading this blog, I will officially be 30 years old. A lot has happened in the first three decades of my life. Some things haven’t happened as quickly as I wanted to. Others happened before I was ready. But’s that’s another blog for another time. Let’s just say me and … More I Have Been Writing for Half of my Life. Here’s What I Learned.
Growing up, I loved Thanksgiving. It was one of the few times my extended family got together. And while it wasn’t anywhere close to a Norman Rockwell experience, being together meant so much to my young heart. My aunt usually hosted, and she was a fantastic cook. I looked forward to her feast—she must’ve cooked … More Thanksgiving in the Woods and Thanksgiving Memories by Marci Whitehurst
When did you know that your writing had become more than just a hobby? For me, it was when my mother said these words: “I think you should focus on making money with your writing.†It was after I had pitched her my idea of an AI-generated graphic novel about a recent seminary graduate in … More When Your Writing Becomes a Side Hustle
This past July I took a trip with my husband, our two daughters, and my mother to visit family in New Mexico. The drive was long (about 16 hours, including getting a nail out of our tire), but it was worth it to see relatives (on my mother’s side) who we haven’t seen in a … More When You Know It’s Time to Let Go
I have a Spotify playlist called “In Case of Emergency, Hit Play.†These aren’t Christian songs for when my heart is in anguish. That’s a different playlist. No, this kind of emergency is strictly a writer’s problem. Whether it is writer’s block, or just a tight deadline I have to meet, this playlist has never … More Listening to Music While Writing
If you’re reading this, chances are, you’ve encountered rejection. When I first started writing, everything was unicorns and rainbows. I wrote my first children’s story and took it to a conference; certain I’d bring home good news. Well… The editor said my story was syrupy sweet and not publishable. Was she right? Absolutely. Did I … More Facing Rejection by Marci Whitehurst
I’ve got about a dozen unfinished stories. When I look back to see why I gave up on the story (sometimes mid-sentence), I discovered most of them died out around chapter three. I was shocked. What was so hard about chapter three? Why would I give up so easily? As I read through the first … More What is so Exciting About the Inciting Incident?