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General writing

Tips and skills in writing generally

Why I Started Writing

01/11/202401/11/2024 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing, Surviving Singledom

I started writing because I was angry. A lot of writers tell you not to do that. They say anger is a lousy motivation. They say if you write while angry, the anger will leak out onto your pages. Bring it on, I say. Frankly, I don’t care about a writer’s motivation. Many people are […]

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Gifts and Graces: A Tale of A Book Signing

11/10/2024 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing

I walk into the bookstore, arms wrapped around my box of books. (I always bring spare books to book signings just in case. Call it professional paranoia.) I spot a table set up for me and my author friend who will be joining me. Unhurriedly I set up my paraphernalia and relax on a chair […]

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Blessings of a Writer’s Conference

04/10/202404/10/2024 Steph Penny 2 Comments General writing

I walk into the main conference auditorium, dragging my keyboard with me. (Actually, a friend is dragging my keyboard. I am dragging the stand.) The room is set up with rows of chairs facing the far wall, where a table sits. I set up my keyboard beside the main table, testing the sound. I will […]

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Keep Calm and Keep on Writing

12/07/2024 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing

I sit alone on the park bench, watching the world go by. Nearby walkers pass in and out of my field of vision, but I am not watching them. Their chatter, and the chatter of birds, dimly registers in my consciousness. There is a rose garden to my left; from here, I can see the […]

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Retreating—In a Good Way

31/05/2024 Steph Penny 2 Comments General writing

When is a retreat a good retreat?  When it’s a writer’s retreat.  Actually, there are many forms of healthy and healing retreat. Last weekend I indulged in several of them: I took off to a friend’s place in the Blue Mountains, met with writer-friends, ate fresh scones with jam and cream (essential fuel for writing), […]

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You Mustn’t Let a Little Thing Like ‘Little’ Stop You

26/04/2024 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing

I really enjoyed watching the new Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. One of the catchiest songs for me was Naughty, in which the eponymous Matilda, a plucky young girl, sings: You mustn’t let a little thing like ‘little’ stop you! The song is about how you can be brave and take matters into your own hands, even though […]

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Creativity is Inefficient—And That’s a Good Thing

27/10/202327/10/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing

As a kid, I loved to daydream. I would sit for hours, staring through my bedroom window into the backyard, imaging all sorts of characters going on quests and having adventures. My toys and LEGO constructions mirrored these daytime fantasies, and I enjoyed books that took me into other worlds too. I started writing stories […]

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Is Writing Cathartic? 

13/10/202313/10/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing, My songs, Survivng Childlessness

‘How wonderful to express your pain through writing,’ people often enthuse. ‘It must be so cathartic!’ Yes—and no.  On the one hand, I find it helpful to get my feelings onto paper or screen. Seeing things in black and white can give me clarity about my problems, not to mention perspective. Sometimes, when I write […]

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It’s Conference Time! 

06/10/202306/10/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing, Worship

Tonight the 2023 Omega Christian Writer’s Conference begins. I’m just a tiny bit excited about this.  Why? It’s not just the opportunity to think more creatively, learn about the business and art of writing, and spend time actually writing. It’s not just the inspirational talks, the information and resources, and the practical help offered by […]

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Time to Retreat

28/04/202328/04/2023 Steph Penny Leave a comment General writing

I walk through the door, greeted by half a dozen cheerful voices. Heads turn and acknowledge me with a smile, some with warm greetings. I hug those I know and beam at those I haven’t met. Gratefully, I accept the offer of a cup of tea and ease myself into a comfortable-looking chair. One by […]

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