Book review: You are a writer (so start acting like one)

You may have seen me review a previous book by Jeff Goins…well he’s back and now he’s got a new book “You are a writer, so start acting like one.


Jeff’s book follows his own adventure of achieving his dream of becoming a writer and he tells us how to do the same.

So why should I read it?

Well maybe your someone who’s always wanted to be a writer, but never really started. Or perhaps you’ve got a blog but want to start getting paid for writing, perhaps you’ve even had a few articles published but it’s not go beyond that. Jeff’s book is for everyone of these people and more.

So what’s in it?

Jeff starts with his story of going from being almost ashamed to talk about his journey, then spends some time dealing with the first steps of becoming a writing. Saying you are one.
After this Jeff gives you some of the essential tools you’ll need to become a writer. 

• A platform, 
• A brand
• Getting connected. 

Jeff adds more of his own story to the picture to help you see how he did it, but he also includes other examples. 


Finally, there is a section on how to pitch a writing idea to a magazine or as a guest post with some general guidelines, attitudes and advice on how to get published and how to deal with rejection. Jeff also includes some very handy sample pitching letters that can be adapted.

The last word

All in all I think it's a great book for a writer, who's never had the guts to go for it. Or for the occasional writer who's never really gone all out for it. It's not a get rich quick or instant success book and it probably won't turn you into the next jk Rowling or other sudden success story. But it will turn you into a writer. 

Coming to a computer near you, SOON!

So I have the new blog and I am preparing some posts to put on it. But I'd love your input on:

• How I should launch it? 
• What would you like to see on it? 
• What new things would you like?

Here are a few of my current ideas.

• More videos
• A series on Discipleship
• More pictures from Ukraine (while I remain here) 
• Encouraging people.
• More prayers

There is also one last question. What to do with this blog? 

Do I leave it here as a monument to all those post I wrote? Do I pick and choose and get rid of the ones I don't like. Do I delete the whole thing? My preference at the moment is the second option as that would mean I can still refer people from this blog (I do get lot of search landing due to how many posts I've written) and the process of selecting my posts will be a nice experience.

(I still need to make a little logo, set up some of the background elements of the site as well as having a few posts ready for launch. If you like the ideas and would like to post something on these themes then please do send me a message or leave a comment bellow.)

What's a good definition of discipleship?

You may remember a few months back I did some posts on Discipleship. Well I want to do some more.

A while back I shared a verse and some thoughts on what Discipleship was. Today I want to revist that question again. What is discipleship?

The word for Disciple comes from the same rout as learner or perhaps better apprentise.
Apprentises learn in many different ways but basically they want to copy and mimic their master who they are learning from. They won't look the exact same. They might do things differently and in their own way but they want to take the essence and import features from their teacher.

Eventually, disciples may even start training other people and in fact it is usually a mark of having graduated. Think about the Jedi in Star Wars, as soon as Obi wan is a Jedi in the first film (which should never be mentioned again) he is assigned a padawan to train.

So, Discipleship is about becoming more like Jesus and also the daily process of following him.

Too many blogs

Just before Christmas I had one blog which I posted my random assortment of interests and thoughts.

However, I decided to change and set up a second blog which I would use to prompt teaching development. It turned out quite well and although I started it on Blogger I decided to take the plunge and move it to a self hosted wordpress site .

Soon after that I started a project to assist my students via blogs. Using blogs to store record of lesson work, set extra work and hopefully for them to do extra out of class work and take more responsibility for their own learning. [mixed success so far.] In addition to this I also have a blog which all the students can see and access ideas for extra work. 

In this case I used posterous as it would be easier for my students to use and collaborate on. 

So I've gone from one blog on one platform to 2 blogs for myself on two platforms and a whole host of student blogs which I curate on a different platform. (And now a self guided Russian study blog)

This makes managing all these different blogs a lot harder and as you may have noticed I have neglected this blog a bit recently (there are other reasons for that) I want to simplify things and so I'm looking at reducing the blog platforms that I am using so that it will be easier for me to post.

EDIT: Since writing the post I have won a competition with freewebhosting for a year. As such I am going to move my personal blog onto a self hosted wordpress platform. Now I just need to choose a name for it! Any suggestion would be appriciated :) Chris

Aim for the week: 17/04/2012

Okay I know this is being posted on Tuesday but Yesterday was a day off for me!

My aim for this week is to spend less time thinking about God and more time talking to God.

Easter in Ukraine

Today is Orthadox Easter.

It has been a strange year for Easter for me as last year the Orthadox and Western/Roman Catholic Easters landed on the same day. Where as, this year they were a week apart. As such last week felt like Easter, but didn't. And this week really feels like Easter...and yet my mind thinks it isn't.

The most incredible thing about being in Ukraine for Easter is how everyone greats each other with the traditional greating of "Christ is risen", "He is risen indeed." Even on the Marshootka back from Church I heard a woman on the radio great the host with it and he responded in kind.

This is despite the fact that under the Soviet Union religion was at best ridiculed publicly by the government and also for periods completely outlawed. Yet despite this, this tradition exists.

But still many people don't even think about what they are saying or why. Easter eggs (not chocolate but painted) are sold. As is traditional Easter cake (paskha) and yet the reason for celebrating; the sacrifice, and resurection, are passed by.

Make us aware

Make us aware of your presence today.
Open our eyes to you with us today.
Let us see your footprints before us.
And help us to do the work, you've prepared for us.

5 Do's of being missional

This is an idea that I've had for a while but not really finalised what the crux is. I could probably write a 30 point list on it but 6 seams good for now.
These are my reflections since being in Ukraine.

1. Use your gifts and your talents: Be true to yourself. There is a reason God gave you these skills and abilities and he wants you to use them. 
2. Be around other Christians and non Christians. Both of these are good and neither is wrong. Spending time with other Christians recharges us, helps raise awareness to other ideas (and our faults) and provides a second model of what it is to be a Christian to people (there's a reason Paul always goes with someone else). Spending time with non Christians is the most likely way they will come to know Christ.
3. Be intentional. Although we can be true to ourselves and our callings we still need to have purposeful desire and actions to see God's kingdom come. There's no use just expecting it to happen as a side effect. 
4. Pray: It's so simple. So obvious but so vital. Prayer powers us. A big lesson as well, prayer is more about listening than speaking. Something I still struggle with. 
5. Invite people to join in. Getting other people involved is great. They may discover a passion they didn't know or they may teach you a thing or two. Even if neither of these happen then still you can do tasks more effectively, show people a second example of Christ or let them examine your life close up (if they aren't a Christian) What's more so many people are waiting for someone to lead them. If you do then people will follow (which means responsibility)
6. Join in with what other people are passionate about: If you find someone's passion then help them release it. Join in with things they do. This means giving up time. Time is valuable in fact it's probably the most precious thing we've got (hence why getting money for a charity is easier than volunteers) but other people need help to see their visions and dreams realised. Just like you do.

What would you add to this list?

Shall we look at some of these a bit deeper?