LISTENING TO THE STORIES OF OTHERS

I just spent an enriching day immersed in the wilderness of a deep gorge, with beautiful waterfalls, cascades, forests and fauna. What made it significantly enriching was not just the wonderful environment but the time spent hearing the tireless stories of this area's custodian, geographer and eldered mentor.

Often as authors and story tellers we are more interested in telling our stories to others than taking time to hear other’s stories. This may be true of us as authors, but it is often also the case when we are considering points of view in a world that has so many. What our world needs is some humble listening to help us navigate the monumental changes and fluxes happening across our planet and in the intimate realities of people. People who Jesus cares for.

Jesus demonstrated great listening by giving people his undivided attention, fostering trust, and validating their worth. I love the story of Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Jesus didn’t just do all the talking. He listened patiently to her, providing a safe space for her to open up about her life and spiritual questions, allowing for a deep, unhurried conversation. In doing so he circumvented cultural norms and ignored his own needs to address her shame, fear, and spiritual hunger. In like manner when Jesus came across blind Bartimaeus (despite the crowd trying to silence him), Jesus heard him, stopped, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 10:46-52). Jesus valued, affirmed and ‘saw’ Bartimaeus so he could fully give him agency in the healing that took place. This was modelled many times.

Listening to others' stories is important. It is crucial for fostering empathy (listeners can begin to relate to others as they recognise that the messenger has feelings and experiences just like them (Colgate 2008)). Listening to other’s stories catalyses our connection with others and takes our relationships to a deeper emotional level.  It helps to build stronger communities by creating closer relationships, trust, and empowerment and encouragement for others to tell their stories. Sharing in people’s personal stories helps others gain new perspectives, understand diverse experiences, and promotes personal and collective growth. We learn from each other’s journeys.

My wife and I are “Member Carers” involved in the vital work of helping to support mission individuals, couples, families and teams on the cutting edge of community development initiatives and humanitarian responses. We are bringing much needed care to those reaching the unreached.  Decades of Chaplaincy, pastoral care, community development and cross-cultural service have produced our unique skillset to help bring this care and support.  Simply listening to their stories is one of the most valuable assets we bring into this space.

We recently met face to face with many long-serving and new-to-field workers in restricted access areas. They face constant significant challenges to their own health, safety and the effectiveness of their operations. The personal cost of service for them encompasses insecurity, loneliness, physical risk, and heightened psychological burdens. Visiting them and providing care by our presence and listening has helped maintain their active service.

Robyn Fivush (2020), Professor of Developmental Psychology at Emory University and the director of the Family Narratives Lab confirms these sentiments: “Knowing how to listen to others’ stories is just as important as being able to tell your own story. When we listen, truly listen, to someone else’s story, we understand who they are in a new and different way, we hear their perspective, their interpretation, their understanding of the world and of themselves. Closely listening to others’ stories creates a shared moment of compassion.”

Colgate (2008) adds another powerful reason why it is important to tell our own stories so others can listen: it brings healing for us and sets others up for their own healing journeys. “As we recall our own stories, we begin to uncover old wounds, hurts and traumas. We also begin to identify the ways in which we have tried to cover over or to deny our pain. Then, by the gracious touch of Jesus and often with the help of a friend, we can experience healing and release. This whole process of healing, release and renewal has tremendous impact.”

I have learnt over the years (with all the cultural immersion and care work I have been blessed to be engaged in) that respecting the culture and history of peoples requires a wise acquiring. This is empowered by access, understanding and actioning of endemic communication methodology and storying that requires listening, adapting, and adopting creative methodologies.

An example of this are my relationships with Indigenous friends who have welcomed me like family. When I was considering the recent musings and discussions of Australia Day, I took time to reflect on the blessing of interactions and family connections with many ethnicities (my family were  immigrants in the 1800's and 1950's. English, German, becoming generations of Aussies) and multiple indigenous embracings.

I remember always caring, sometimes intense 'Aunties' sharing stories, welcoming, praying over, calling forth my formative, eyes-opened, heart-responsive, listening and learning, loving and growing, going and journeying in community, family, mates and markings. Nows and futures. Together. 'Uncles' doing likewise with practiced hands teaching to walk and talk the land, gather and collect, hear and hunt, treading, trusting, braving, sometimes slow, moving, mustering, making, moulding, and mentoring.

Lessons of humility stand out with stories of responsibility and storied teachings of reverence, sacred ways of giving thanks, awe of life and spirit, Creator and created, experiential teachings of giving, kindness, caring, justice, mercy and love, orality, oral pronouncements and wisened sayings by meaningful adult interactions. They are oral in spoken words as well as in songs, in utterances, and the sounds of sight and sounds of thoughts and feelings shared on journey together, perhaps gathering foods or hunting or wandering with purpose together on an adventure, sitting in the dust around a camp fire and simply being together, and sometimes this means sitting in silence for a long time and simply sharing space together in the presence of The Almighty.

I am humbled and honoured for their welcome. Thankful for teaching me and helping me listen. To see. I am glad we can join hands with all our diverse backgrounds to journey into our future together.

There are many other examples of relationships with many different peoples I could share of the vitality of listening.

Finally, when stories are shared to listening ears and hearts, they are spiritually powerful:

“We overcome by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 12:11).

It may even be considered to be a form of spiritual warfare as it is truth telling, helps to break down deception, and reveals Godly purposes, plans and prophetic insights therefore countering  isolation, judgment, and spiritual darkness. Honest testimonies and authentically hearing others, can help bring freedom, build hope and faith, and testify of God’s power.

Jesus took time to listen to people. Perhaps we can too.

Listening to others’ stories empowers their future story. I believe it is also a potent way for us as story tellers to have more powerful future stories.

My wilderness journey and storied immersions have changed my life. I hope your adventures in listening do too.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Colgate, J (2008) Relational Bible Storying and Scripture Use in Oral Muslim Context,

Fivush, R. (2020) Listening to Stories: The Power of Story Circles Story Circles build compassion and connection during challenging times. In Psychology Today. 

Lausanne  (2004) “Making Disciples of Oral Learners” Oral Communicators and Oral Cultures in the Lausanne Report (pages 14-18) Making Disciples of Oral Learners Can we in our day do for oral communicators what Gutenberg in his day did for literates? In Report from the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization Issue Group  Pattaya, Thailand. Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2004

Strauss, R. (2018) “Tell This Man We Were Sleeping” EMQ, October–December 2018, Volume 54, Issue 4, Missionexus Introducing-story-strategic-methods/

Unity in Volatile Times

 

I've been thinking about unity a lot lately, or perhaps disunity is the more correct word. Christians have always had different opinions on some elements of doctrine and practice, hence the emergence of difference denominations. Though hopefully, we agree on core aspects of our faith, often expressed in words such as the Apostle's Creed. 

God also gave us all different spiritual gifts, talents, personalities, and passions to serve Him in different spheres of influence. I think most of us have some idea of what that looks like in a church context, or at least what it should look like. We are all parts of the one body (1 Corinthians 12), we're called to 'make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace' (Ephesians 4:3, NIV) and we're to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). But what does that look like as Christian writers?

I should warn you that this post has more questions than answers. I am genuinely trying to work this out myself and I'd be interested to see how you're navigating this space. So here's my problem.

A Volatile World

In the last six years, I feel like the world has been in more upheaval than it has been for decades, perhaps even since World War II. With that upheaval has come a lot of issues that have polarised people, including those in the Christian community. It seems we all have different views on the COVID crisis, vaccinations in general, the war in the Ukraine, unrest in the Middle East, world politics, the Voice referendum, free speech and a host of other issues. There's nothing wrong with having different opinions. Yet sometimes we act in ways that make an enemy of the person with a different view. I've found myself reacting negatively to some social media posts, and then in turn, harbouring negative feelings towards the person who circulated that post. I know this is not how Christ would want us to behave towards each other, but what is the solution when we feel so strongly about certain issues? 

Separate the Person from the Idea of Action

One way is to remember first that the person is of great value. Afterall, Christ died for them even if we disagree with them. Funny that! He desires that all come to a saving knowledge of Him. However, that doesn't mean we don't challenge their idea or offer alternative viewpoints. Try to remember that it's the idea or opinion we don't agree with, and keep that as the focus rather than personal attacks. And also remember that we are to speak the truth in love, which doesn't always happen as it should within the Christian community.

Look for Common Ground

It might seem that people have very different ideas from us, but if we dig deeper, we can often see that there is some common ground. For example, we could find three Christians who are all concerned about the erosion of family values and want to see families strengthened. Yet those three people might approach that issue in completely different ways. One will run a marriage enrichment course in their church because they believe that a strong marriage is the key to a strong family. Another will be concerned about a particular issue that they feel is undermining family values (e.g., some content in the school curriculum), so they will lobby government, write letters to the editor, get petitions going and so on to try to get change made to that curriculum. Someone else might feel that there aren't enough opportunities for families to come together, so they'll organise community events that are suitable for the whole family. All concerned about the family, but all tackling the issues differently.

So next time it seems like someone has a very different idea to you, try to dig deeper and see what's driving that idea. Ask some questions to try to get behind their reasoning. You might have more in common than you think.

What If You Can't Agree?

Sometimes different ideas are incompatible and you won't be able to find that common ground. That's okay. You have to be true to what you believe God has called you to do. Are you meant to challenge the other person or let it go? (I feel a song coming on!). Are you meant to write about it? If so, how will you do that in a respectful way? Are you teachable and open to the idea that your own ideas might need to be challenged and change as well?

Prayer and Humility

Above all, are we willing to seek God's perspective, humble ourselves and repent where necessary, and write the words God would have us write in these challenging times? As writers, we don't just represent God with our words, but with our lives. We can't divorce what we would put in a book from what we put on Facebook. It's all a witness, whether in a way worthy of Christ or not.

Some Questions

So here are some questions to think about, and I'd love to hear your responses.

• What does it look like to have unity, yet diversity, within Christian writing circles?
• What does it look like to represent Christ as Christian writers at a time when Christians disagree with each other on a lot of topics?
• How can we bring hope to a hurting world when we are hurting as well?

Let's always remember that Jesus is the 'author and perfector of our faith' (Hebrews 12:2, NASB). Whether we write specifically for the Christian market or not, let's remember that we reflect Him in everything we write.

Sources

Featured photo by John Hain on Pixabay. NIV = New International Version and NASB = New American Standard Bible. 

Author Bio

Nola Lorraine has a passion for faith and social justice issues, and loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. Her books include the inspirational historical novel Scattered, the Christian devotional book Comfort Zone, and the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light which she co-edited with Jeanette O’Hagan. She also has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. She loves sharing the words and stories God impresses on her heart, and prays that He will use them to bless others.

All Things New

 

by Rebekah Robinson

I am a weird little person who likes Mondays. And mornings. And Januaries … it’s like opening a brand new journal with that fresh, clean page smiling at you, all inviting.

God makes us a powerful future promise in Revelation 21:3-5 ESV:

‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’

Speed the day, Lord! A world with no hurt? Forever in Your presence? Bring it on.

In the meantime … we have moments like New Year’s Day. We stop and consider how we might improve our corner of this old world, or our performance within it. We resolve to try harder, do better. Perhaps we even resolve to restfully trust in the grace of our Lord more fully.

I have goals for the year, and aspirations, but I am too old (and maybe too jaded) for resolutions. Most of us have enough going on without piling more expectations onto ourselves. A quiet continuance in the right direction is also to be commended: to keep going with that book, to remain embedded in the Word, to inch closer and closer to the heart of God, surrendering more fully every day (even days that are not Mondays!).

Time is a construct, and God is not particularly obligated to pay attention to the numbers on our calendars. But being the gracious Person He is, He does often play along. There’s no reason He can’t give us a boost on January 1^st. He’s not going to withhold blessing because ‘calendars are ridiculous.’ If a date means something to us, chances are, it means something to Him. We are, after all, immensely cherished!

We are headed for the new world without pain, the world where God moves in with us. Yet while we find ourselves still in this world, we have work to do, rest to enjoy, people to love. Win the lost, be the family, build the Kingdom. This is our window of opportunity, and as writers we squeeze meaning and metaphor out of everything that passes by. What a privilege it is! What will He show us next? His ingenuity is endless.

And so, whether you’re making resolutions or not – be encouraged. Take motivation from the clean slate of the newborn year, or simply Keep Calm & Carry On. Be blessed in 2026 with Jesus’s presence, inspiration and power, and remember His declaration in Matthew 28:20 NIV:

‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

Celebrating the Prince of Peace

 

If you’ve been in church circles for a while, you would have heard Isaiah’s prophecy about the Christ child many times.

‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ (Isaiah 9:6)

The word translated as ‘peace’ in Isaiah 9:6 is ‘shalom’. Jewish people often use it as a greeting, but it has a broader meaning of ‘peace, completeness, welfare, well-being and prosperity’. A real blessing.

Yet many aren’t at peace this Christmas. The war is still going on in Ukraine and there are numerous hotspots around the world where violence and death are daily occurrences. Closer to home, we have just experienced our greatest terrorist attack on Australian soil, with the horrendous mass shootings during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Many also experience a lack of peace in their relationships with family, friends and colleagues; while others struggle with internal peace.

Has the Prince of Peace forgotten us? Is He powerless to stop the evil in the world and soothe our souls?

 A resounding, ‘No’! 

He has already won the battle over the powers of darkness and He is still active in our world. He still longs for us to experience His shalom.

Peace with God

First and foremost, Jesus came into the world to seek and save the lost. We were far away from God, but Jesus died in our place as a sacrifice for our sins. If we put our trust in Him, we have peace with God and a new life through Him now and in eternity.

 

Peace in the World

Not many of us are in a position to directly affect world politics or engage in peace talks with feuding nations. However, we have God’s promise that one day there will be peace. In the Good News translation of the Bible, the section from verses 1 to 9 of Isaiah 11 has the subheading ‘The Peaceful Kingdom’. Jesus ‘will rule His people with justice and integrity’, and one day even ‘wolves and sheep will live together in peace’ (verses 5-6).

 

Peace with Others

Jesus has also given us a blueprint for living in peace with others. Confess our sins to one another, seek forgiveness and reconciliation where possible, see others as valuable in the eyes of God and treat them accordingly, serve others’ interests rather than our own, and so much more. We often fail, and sometimes the other person won’t budge, but their reaction is between them and God. As Paul urges us in Romans 12:18: ‘If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’.

 

Peace Within Ourselves

When we look at the challenges we’re facing or consider the troubles in the world around us, it’s not easy to feel at peace. But the good news is that we don’t have to face our anxieties or fears by ourselves. Jesus wants us to have peace and He has given His Holy Spirit to help us. 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27). 

It is not what the world views as peace. It is God’s peace—a peace that is beyond our human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Final Thoughts

As writers, we have a unique opportunity to use our words to spread the message of peace and reconciliation that comes through our Lord Jesus Christ. You might like to pray through the Prayer of St Francis of Assisi, which reminds us that we are God's instruments; or offer God another prayer from your heart. May Jesus empower us with His Holy Spirit so we can partner with Him in bringing hope and healing to a hurting world. This Christmas, let's be channels of His peace as we celebrate the birth of our precious Saviour—the Prince of Peace.

 

 Sources

Main photo by Congerdesign on Pixabay. Author photo by Wayne Logan from Encouraging Photos.

Definition of  'shalom' from Lexical study on Bible Hub.

All scriptures taken from the New International Version of the Bible unless otherwise stated.

Author Bio

Nola Lorraine has a passion for faith and social justice issues, and loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. Her books include the inspirational historical novel Scattered, the Christian devotional book Comfort Zone, and the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light which she co-edited with Jeanette O’Hagan. She also has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. She loves sharing the words and stories God impresses on her heart, and prays that He will use them to bless others.

 

Yep, times have changed

 

During a recent Grandparents’ Day at our youngest granddaughter’s school, I was definitely made to feel my age when her class asked what school was like for us.

‘We sat on forms – long wooden seats – behind long wooden desks that had holes for inkwells,’ I explained. ‘When we practised handwriting in our copybooks, we would use a pen and nib and dip the nib into the ink. We had to be careful not to make a big blot on the page!’

Their eyes rounded. But at least they did not ask the same question our granddaughter once asked me: ‘Nanna, when you were at school, did you use one of those things like a feather? Was it called a quill?’ Hmm. Imagine our grandchildren’s disbelief too when I showed them a small slate my father made me and a slate pencil I used in my first year of school in Queensland in the fifties!

We may complain about aspects of producing our manuscripts today as writers, but at least we do not have to use a quill and ink as Charles Dickens did – or my great-great-grandfather’s brother, R D Blackmore, as he wrote Lorna Doone in 1869! How did they do it? I well remember how long it took to write and rewrite by hand my many essays at university in the late 1960s. Thankfully, by the time I returned to study in the 1980s and again in the 1990s, things had changed. By then, we had a huge, old desktop computer at home – yay!

Things have changed too in the area of book promotion since the 1990s. When my first novel Heléna was released in 2007, while online promotion was vital (Amazon arrived in 1994 and Facebook in 2004), my then publisher ensured my novel also featured in the printed Christian bookstore catalogues mailed to subscribers, as well as in printed Christian magazines. Now the picture has changed indeed. These days, whether we have a traditional publisher or choose to self-publish, we need to be enthusiastic, innovative self-starters, willing to promote our own books as much as we can and to be as tech-savvy as we can.

Yep, times have changed – and those of us who are older may find this a challenge. Yet it is also interesting and even exciting to keep learning new things, don’t you think? And what a bonus too that, at the click of a button, we can promote our books far and wide rather than rely on print advertising only or word of mouth! But most wonderful of all to me is the fact that God surely did not make a mistake when calling us to write at this exact time in history. What a privilege, whatever the challenge, to be Christian authors in 2025 and beyond!

In the light of this then, could I suggest you take a moment now to stop, put your hands in your lap, breathe deeply and remember the Lord is with you and in you right where you are? Sit back and rest in his loving presence. Then, before moving on, thank him that he knows you intimately, has given you the desire and ability to write and will never leave you, whatever twists and turns your writing journey may take. The Lord is so faithful. May we in turn be faithful writers for him.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen is a Sydney-based author of seven novels and four non-fiction works. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked in teaching, editing and local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves encouraging others through both the written and spoken word and is a keen blogger. Jo-Anne’s books, including her latest, God Moments, is available via her website, Koorong Books and Amazon.

Side Quests and Finding an Audience

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

Brisbane Supanova 2025

A couple of weekends ago, Rendered Realms, aka, Jeanette O'Hagan, Lynne Stringer and Adele Jones had a table our seventh (or eighth) Brisbane Supanova (since our first one in 2017 & Covid in between).  In many ways, it's rinse and repeat  - we dress as characters in our story, we display our ever-expanding stock/inventory of books, we put up banners and posters, we hand brochures and bookmarks to interested patrons, we enjoy the creative display of cosplayers prarading past our table, we thrill at return customers and the friends we'd made over the years at the different pop-culture cons. 

This years had a different vibe for one reason only. As some excited customers exclaimed - they loved a sidequest. Those smaller filler quests that branch off the main quest line in a RPL (roleplaying) game. They also love bling.  Talking of side quests - let me backtrack :) 

To diverge - Finding an Audience

I started telling stories a long time ago. 

For many years they had an audience of one (me). Well, two, to inclule God who knows our thoughts before we do. At any stray moment, my characters would clamour in my head, telling me their adventures, suprising me with twists and turns along the way. Villains with backstories and redemptive arcs, new lands and new peoples, family dynamics and farflung journeys - which only I was privy to. I drew maps, invented an alphabet, made extensie genealogies, drew and painted pictures of different aspects of my world and its peoples. 

Until one day, a family friend challenged me to write the stories down for others to read. Soon, I was in search of an audience - readers who I hoped would love my world and characters as much as I did. 

Broadening my audience gave my stories more substance and structure. Instead of a rambling ever-branching, ongoing adventures, they started taking the form of short stories and novels. And instead of pleasing myself and allowing my daydreaming mind to roam where and when it will, I had to think seriously about audience expectations - target audience (Young Adult, Adult), genre (Fantasy, Science Fiction), story structure and style (point of view, show don't tell, strong prose, pacing etc).  

Writing the stories is the fun part. 

Editing them is necessary. I enjoy editing,  though I wish it didn't take five times longer than the actual writing. 

Getting the stories published has it's own challenges - finding a publisher, deciding between traditioanal publishing or Indie publishing, Hybrid etc, 

But the hardest thing about seeking an audience - is being noticed in the crowd. In other words, promotion and marketing. And whether we are trad published or  indie (self) published, we need to market our books so people can find them. 

Each year, 2.7 million books are added to Amazon.  And once a book is electroncially published, it's generally stays published. So in the hustle to find our readers, we are not just competing with all the new books out there, but everyone else's backlist - including all the republished classics from decades to centuries ago. 

When we look at the figures, it can be disheartening. 

There are various ways to find an audience - connecting with groups, schools, libraries, book clubs, social media, etc, collaborating with othe authors, competitions, giveaways, promotions, advertising, newsletters, street teams, etc 

One way, Adele, Lynne and I have found to connect with our potential readers is though Pop culture festivals like Supanova, Oz Comic Con, Fraser Pop, Comicgeddon. The people in cosplay streaming past our table are interested in our genres - science fiction and fantasy - and a good proportion of them are avid readers. Many of love supporting local and small arists and authors in artist alley. 

Even though many others are more interested in merch and art than books, these events attract crowds of people - tens of thousands with Supanova. If the book lovers are ten or even five perscent - that's a lot of people.  Enough to make the event worth while. And certainly, I know I  sell far more books through such events than through Amazon or Draft2Digital.

But each event,  I find I have to fight against the temptation to funnel down on how many sales I am making (have I covered costs). Each sale means either a new reader or someone who  has returned for the next book (both are fantastic). Having someone relieved to find our table after seraching for it beause they are desparate to buy book 2 (Rasel's Song), is magical. But it's not just the sales - it's the real connection we make with fans and other authors ,and being a presence, that is just as important.

A Wayward Dragon

So, back to sidequests,  what was different about Supanova this year?

Last November at Supanova, one of the authors had the birght idea to do a charity anthology open to all the authors at Supanova, to be launched at the 2025 Brisbane Supanova. Many of us thought it was a great idea. 

Each author wrote a short story set in the author's world - my story, of course, was set in Nardva.

Each story would include a palm-size dragon with a single gold coin hoard, whereever the coin went, so did the dragon. The dragon connected the stories, changing as he went from world to world. 

The book itself was shiny - a special edition with foil and dragon scales on the edges. Each author also got a small green dragon and a golden coin to display on their table. More than one person commented on the fact that they kept seeing the same book seemingly everywhere.

The book was a limited edition - only sold in print, only available through the authors. 

The book had a uniform price with a portion going to charity - over $1000 raised. 

Most of the authors were at the event (over ten) & those buying the book were encouaged to look out for the little green dragon and make sure they got as many signatures from the authors as possible.  This was a hit - a number of people were excited about this 'side quest' or treasure hunt (to find the other authors). 

We even had one 'roving author' with the dragon on his shoulder. 

Supa Hoard of A Wayward Dragon was a complete success. The only possible drawbreak was it may gave overshadowed our other books to some extent  - but not complerely.  We still sold our own books. And the whole experience strengthened connections with the other authors, added a buzz to the event, as well as attracting people to our table.

I wonder - what is our main quest, what is a sidequest. Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in a side-quest, and forget the main quest. 

For me, that's a reminder that, yes, I believe God has called me to write books so others might read and be blessed by them. And yes, I need to work towards gaining an audience through writing the best books I can and doing what I can to bring them to the attention of readers. Yet, in the end, it's not numbers or sales in themselvest that matter - but connecting with the audience God gives us and being a presence in a secular world. 

And now for a side quest, if you are up for it - how many times does the wayward dragon appear in the photos in this blog - answer in the comments below or on the FB page :) 

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 more recently in Stepping Sideways and Supa Hoard of a Wayward Dragon. Her story in Stepping Sideways, 'In a League of Her Own' won the 2024 Aurealis Award for YA Short Stories.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and writing. She loves reading, painting, travel, and pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane.

Find out more about Jeanette at:

My Website | Facebook Author Page | Amazon | Books2Read | Goodreads

The Rewards of Writing God’s Books

 

‘I’m reading your book to my grandchildren.’ My friend casually dropped this information into our conversation.

I blinked, taken aback. ‘Which book?’

She grinned. ‘El Roi.’

‘But…’ I was more than a little disturbed. I write books for adults, mature adults and I write about adult themes.

She laughed at my reaction. ‘They love it. Some of the scenes I adjust a little, but they are engrossed.’

I was still floored. I know these kids. They are under ten years old. But observant     enough to ask what my name was doing on the cover.

In my last blog I wrote about the high cost of writing. This time I want to talk about the immeasurable rewards to be reaped from writing, for walking in obedience without counting the cost.

God and I have an agreement about my books. He helps me write, yes, but promises that if I get them published, He will distribute them. It seems He’s more interested in getting a book in a particular person’s house or hand than selling them by the hundred!

Occasionally I get feedback about His unseen work. A stranger emailed to thank me for El Shaddai.

            Hi Jo,

Thank you so much for writing El Shaddai! I came across it in an Op Shop in Ipswich whilst visiting my daughter! Of course I was led by God as the title jumped out at me. What a blessing!

Please know how precious your writing is as the conversations with God in the story bring Him even closer. 

When I stood behind my novels at a stand in at the  Koorong bookstore in Toowoomba a few Saturdays ago, I was amazed by the number of people who stopped to tell me how much they had enjoyed “Though the Bud be Bruised”. We published that book thirteen years ago and it is still affecting lives. I know that for everyone who shares or comments, there are many who don’t.

A book is like a stealth bomber. It glides in through Kindle, a loan or a bookstore, looking innocent. But it can be an explosive weapon that helps set people free.

Let’s see what happened with my friend’s grandchildren who couldn’t wait to read more each night. When it was time for them to go home, the story wasn’t finished. One of them read aloud for the full hour’s drive to their house. to finish it.

‘We see demons like that coming through our window.’ They told their grandmother. This opened a conversation and my friend used the book to help them learn the power of Jesus and how to deal with demons.

In my ideal world, children don’t know about demons. But most kids today are not being raised in an ideal world. It would never enter my head to talk to my grandchildren about demons, but this book does and brings promise of a Light that the darkness can’t put out. It’s a message of hope that so many need to hear.

In the early hours of Saturday morning in Toowoomba a truth burst into my mind. ‘Your writing is not a business or a hobby. It’s a ministry.’

What perfect timing the Lord has. This was the morning I was preparing to sit in Koorong. I knew then that my job was to spread God’s love. It wasn’t about sales, but being God’s ears and mouth. During the day further understanding came. I worry about the finances when I perceive it as a business. Or even a hobby. But I don’t have any problem sinking cash into ministry. This understanding released me into a new freedom.

Monday morning we were still resting at the BNB in the suburbs. A truck, a loud, large truck rumbled past our little place and stopped. To understand the significance of this I need to explain that for about 15 years God has used OVERSIZE trucks to remind us of His plans for our lives. We see these beasts a lot. But on this particular morning the truck went past, stopped, ground back up the hill, kept backing and filling until he had parked in the cul de sac facing our bedroom. By then I was out the front taking pics.

I think God was yelling at me! Once again promising us OVERSIZE blessings in our lives, in this ministry.

As I said, the rewards of writing His words, publishing, and distributing them are beyond our imagination.

Do you have a similar story? Do you get abundantly blessed by this calling? 

Jo Wanmer is a story teller. But struggles to put those stories into accepable prose. She writes with the help of the Holy Spirit. Without His inspiration there would be no books. Though the Bud be Bruised was published thirteen years ago. Last year El Shaddai was released and it's prequel, El Roi, has just been published. 

She lives with her husband of fifty-three years just north of Brisbane. Family, God and writing are here three passions. Eleven great-grandchildren (under 6) now fill their home with love and chaos. 

How to Have a Fabulous Author Event

 

What do you get when you mix a local bookstore, an enthusiastic manager and her staff, twenty-seven Aussie authors, 25% discounts and lots of customers looking for Christmas bargains? A fabulous 'Meet the Author' event, that's what!

The Koorong Christian bookstore in Toowoomba recently held an author event in conjunction with their nationwide Family and Friends Day. Twenty-seven authors were initially scheduled, though two were unfortunately unable to make it on the day due to unforeseen circumstances. But that still leaves twenty-five who were in-store. That's a lot of authors! 

Most of the authors came from southeast Queensland, though we also had two interstate visitors from the ACT and Victoria.

It was a very successful day, with lots of customers coming through the store from the first minute it opened at 9.00, and interesting conversations still being had during the last half hour before closing at 5.00. There were a lot of sales overall, and the manager was very happy with the way it went, but the conversations and connections were also key.

So What Goes Into an Event Like This?

We're very fortunate in Toowoomba because the Koorong store manager, Kirsten Hart, really champions the cause of Australian authors. She and all of her staff were enthusiastic about the event and put in a lot of work beforehand to ensure it was a success.

Here are just some of the tasks the staff did beforehand.

• Building these events up over a number of years so that they got bigger and better each time. 
• Coordinating dates so that it coincided with Koorong's family and friends day and associated discounts.
• Contacting authors months in advance to obtain photos and blurbs that were used in advertising memes on social media and professional posters on the day.
• Ordering everyone's books well in advance so they were in store on the day.
• Taking care of logistical issues such as catering for the authors, hiring extra chairs, liaising with other store owners re parking.
• Rearranging the whole store and setting up everything needed for the day, and I'm sure there were many more activities behind the scenes. These events are a lot of work and not something you can throw together in five minutes.

Kirsten also organised for local radio station, 92.9 The Voice FM, to broadcast from right outside the store all morning. A number of authors were interviewed, and it really did make a difference. I spoke to several people during the day who said they came into the store because they heard about the event on the radio. One person even came up to my book table and said she had heard my interview. Apparently the station also got some leads for future interviews, so it was mutually beneficial.

Although the staff did so many things to help with the day, it's also essential that the authors do their bit by promoting the event on social media, inviting people to the event, sharing photos on the day and so on. The store is doing a lot to promote us, so we need to also help them.

It's probably also worth mentioning that the Koorong store in Toowoomba is in a central location surrounded by other stores, a cafe next door, and not far from the CBD. So the visibility of the store also helps with random or spontaneous drop-ins. Bonus!

Importance of Prayer

Although I'm mentioning this after the other tasks, it's crucial at every stage. I know the staff and authors were praying in the lead-up to the event and on the day. Prayers have also continued for the people who bought books, that God would touch them with His love and that the seeds planted through the stories would continue to grow and bear fruit. All the marketing and preparation in the world are to no avail unless God is in the plans from the beginning. We're full of praise and thanks to Him for what was achieved through the event and the many blessings we saw and continue to see. To God be the glory.

An Author's Perspective

Vanessa Foran was one of the interstate authors who travelled up for the event. I asked her if she could share a few words about her experience of the day and this is what she wrote:

"As a new author I was excited to attend the 'meet the author' event. I wanted to experience my first book signing, as well as meet some other writers. I was thrilled to see how much effort had gone into organising the event. The store manager appeared to have thought of everything, including a 'passport' to encourage customers to engage with authors (to qualify for a free hot drink from the cafe next door customers had to get their passport "stamped" by each author). Authors were seated according to their writing genre, and I had some wonderful conversations with Linda Watt, Ruth Bonetti, and Stephanie Walters, all fellow memoir writers.

Throughout the day, visitors engaged with the passport activity, got books signed, or asked about our writing journeys. As well as the joy of signing books, connecting with other writers and readers, and even praying with one customer, perhaps the most valuable moment in the day occurred when I noticed the reaction of two young Mums to my book cover. They seemed very interested in my story of my travels with young children, Travels of a Wimpy Mum, but their expressions changed when they noticed the subtitle: 'Finding courage through the Book of James'. My older readers tell me the book is funny, engaging and inspiring, so I wish more young parents would read and be encouraged by it. Based on the reaction of those two mums, I'm now considering a more general interest sub-title, such as 'Finding faith on the road', that I'm hoping will appeal to a broader age-range of Christian readers, and introduce them to the life-giving wisdom of the Book of James. So the day was beneficial for me on a number of levels."

Thanks for sharing that, Vanessa. It's always interesting to get on-the-spot feedback and reactions to your books at events like this. I spoke to many of the authors and know they were blessed by the event in various ways, and we trust that God will continue to minister to the readers through the stories we've shared in our books.

Full List of Authors

I'm sorry I couldn't include photos of all authors in this post, but here is a full list of those involved: Adele Jones, Anne Hamilton, Ben Boland, Hannah Currie, Ingrid Dacker, Jeanette Grant-Thomson, Jennifer Mistmorgen, Jessica Kate, Jo Wanmer, Judy Rogers, Karen Roper, Lexia G. Mackin, Linda Watt, Lucy Khan, Lynne Stringer, Nola Lorraine, N. R. Eccles-Smith, R. A. Stephens, Rebekah Robinson, Rian Roux, Ruth Bonetti, Sarah Alison, Stephanie Walters, Ted Stubbersfield, Vanessa Foran; and in absentia, Frances Prentice and Glenn Cox.

Thanks and Disclaimer

Thank you so much to Kirsten and the team at Toowoomba Koorong who made it all possible. It's amazing what can be done when you have booksellers who care about Australian authors. 

Also, a little disclaimer. I was a participant in this event, but I am not a Koorong employee and therefore cannot speak on their behalf. If you are interested in other questions, such as how to get your books into Koorong, it is best to contact them direct.

If any of the other authors who were there on the day would like to share their experiences, please add them in the comments section. We'd love to hear what you thought.

___ 

Author Bio

Nola Lorraine has a passion for faith and social justice issues, and loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. Her books include the inspirational historical novel Scattered, the Christian devotional book Comfort Zone, and the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light which she co-edited with Jeanette O’Hagan. She also has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. She loves sharing the words and stories God impresses on her heart, and prays that He will use them to bless others.

www.nolalorraine.com.au

Rules? What rules?

 I am glad I went to school in the fifties and sixties, for various reasons. Back then, we learnt 'proper' cursive handwriting that few younger people seem able to read today. We did not have the luxury of calculators so mastered the art of doing simple mathematics in our heads. But, above all, we were taught those many punctuation and grammar rules involved in communicating via our English language. What a bonus for me as a writer today!

Perhaps you disagree about those pesky punctuation and grammar rules. After all, language changes or evolves over the years in all sorts of ways and, if we insist on continuing to use all those commas and apostrophes today, our writing could seem unnatural, stilted and pedantic. I understand that – and, as writers, we want today’s potential readers to be able to connect easily with our books, stories and blogs. Yet how much easier it can be, it seems to me, if we know those punctuation and grammar rules well. Then we can make wise decisions about whether and where we use them or not in our writing in this day and age.

As far as punctuation is concerned, take this sign, for example, that I saw recently outside a café:

Perhaps there was only one scone that came with jam and cream? Or only one sausage roll? And what was inside that the open fire could possibly possess? How tempted I was to march in and proceed to explain to the owner that simple plural nouns ending in ‘s’ do not need an apostrophe. At that point, I remembered Lyn Truss’s (yes, an apostrophe is needed there!) clever book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, and wished I had handy the ‘Punctuation Repair Kit’ she mentions so that I could easily plonk a sticker over those unnecessary apostrophes or rub them out.

In the case of this sign, at least we still know what it means. So why the fuss, some may ask. But when it comes to our use of commas, that can be another matter. Take the title of Lyn Truss’s book, for example, where that comma after ‘Eats’ makes all the difference. With it there, we understand that the panda walks into a café, proceeds to eat whatever, then shoots someone, then leaves. Much more exciting than a sentence about pandas eating shoots and leaves!

At times when editing manuscripts, I have to reread certain sentences to understand their meaning, all because a few commas were missing in relevant spots. Take the question, ‘John was that difficult?’, for example, or the statement, ‘I know Mary.’ Without a comma after ‘John’ and another before ‘Mary’, the intended meaning of both is unclear until we perhaps read on further or work it out from the context. How much better if we remembered the simple punctuation rule that, when we are addressing someone, their name (a ‘proper noun’) needs a comma (or perhaps two) to separate it from the rest of the sentence.

I understand not all writers have had the opportunity to learn those pesky punctuation and grammar rules well at school. But all is not lost – there are plenty of books and courses available on the subject, so why not check them out? This may well save editors’ or proofreaders’ costs in the long run, as well as stop future generations from writing signs like the one above outside cafes!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen is a Sydney-based author of seven novels and four non-fiction works. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked in teaching, editing and local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves encouraging others through both the written and spoken word and is a keen blogger.

Jo-Anne’s latest book, God Moments, is available via her website, Koorong Books and Amazon.