Mighty Arrow

Psalm 127

Introduction

“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it.”

Psalm 127 begins with a simple truth: if the Lord is not in what we are building, our labor is in vain. That applies to our homes, our families, our churches, and even our nation.

After the Revolutionary War, the American colonies had won their independence, but they still needed a government that could hold the new nation together. In 1787, delegates gathered in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. They quickly found themselves divided over what that government should look like.

Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old, rose during the disagreements and reminded the delegates how often they had prayed for God’s help during the struggle for independence. He said that the longer he lived, the more convinced he became that “God governs in the affairs of men.”

Franklin then referred to Psalm 127 and proposed that prayers asking for God’s help be held before the Convention’s daily business. His proposal was not adopted, but his words still pointed to an important truth.

Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain.

We can work, plan, organize, and try to build everything ourselves, but ultimately our hope must be in the Lord.

Our Nation Needs Hope

Our nation needs hope. There are wars, economic concerns, natural disasters, uncertainty, and pressures facing young people that many of us never faced when we were their age. We can look around and find plenty of reasons to become discouraged.

But our hope is not ultimately in circumstances getting better. Our hope is in Jesus.

Years ago, I went through a time when I was deeply depressed. I could not even explain why I was so discouraged. I attended a conference where they taught different techniques and ideas, but those things were not really what helped me.

What helped me was hope.

Something about that experience reminded me that there was hope, and my outlook began to change. Maybe you have experienced that too. You were discouraged, and someone gave you a little encouragement. Maybe God sent a blessing at just the right moment that reminded you not to give up.

Hope can change things.

And Psalm 127 points us toward another source of hope.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.”

Children Are Like Arrows

I have not had a great deal of success with bows and arrows.

When I was young, I bought a little plastic bow and arrow from a dime store. I was proud of it and took it to show my cousins. Within about thirty minutes, the bow was lying in the yard in two pieces with the string between them.

Later, at Boy Scout camp, we went to the archery range. They asked whether I wanted a light bow or a strong one. Looking at the target in the distance, I decided I needed the strong one.

That bow was so strong that my hand trembled trying to pull the string back. When I finally released the arrow, it did not come anywhere close to the target.

So I am probably not the person you want teaching an archery class.

But Psalm 127 tells us that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. An arrow has the ability to go beyond the person holding the bow. In the same way, our children and young people can go places, reach people, and accomplish things for the Lord that extend far beyond us.

Sometimes we say young people are the church of tomorrow. I hope they are.

But they can also be the church of today.

A Mighty Force

I learned something about young people being a mighty force when I was in high school.

Being a freshman was not exactly the most honored position in school. There were some seniors who had a habit of grabbing freshmen by the feet while they were sitting on the tall gym bleachers and pulling them down.

One day, two seniors came into the gym and did it to a freshman. The boy was left sitting there with tears in his eyes.

The seniors walked away laughing and sat farther down the bleachers.

Then something happened.

The basketballs stopped bouncing. A group of freshmen gathered together. The seniors were not paying much attention as that group moved toward them.

Instead of going after the smaller senior, they picked the biggest one.

There were suddenly hands everywhere. They grabbed his feet, pulled, and down he came.

As far as I know, they never did that to another freshman again.

There is strength when young people come together with a purpose.

Imagine what can happen when young people give that strength, energy, and willingness to the Lord.

Children Used by the Lord

When my own children were in high school, I knew people would eventually start asking them that question young people hear all the time: “What are you going to do when you get out of school?”

A lot of young people do not know yet.

I told mine, “Just tell them, ‘I’m going to serve the Lord.’”

At the time, I was partly giving them something to say when they did not know how to answer the question. But today I can praise God that all of them are serving the Lord.

That is what we should desire for our children.

I once had a friend named Ralph Rice who worked with young people at church camp. Years later, he and his wife were in a store when a young man approached him and asked, “Brother Rice, do you remember me?”

The boy had grown up.

He thanked Brother Rice for caring about him and loving him when he was young. Then he told him that he was now working in the church himself.

That is encouragement for every Sunday school teacher, youth worker, parent, grandparent, pastor, and church member who has ever wondered whether investing in a child really makes a difference.

Kids grow up.

You may not immediately see what God is doing through the time you spend teaching them, loving them, praying for them, and pointing them toward Christ. But those children are growing, and God can use them.

Our young people are not merely waiting for their turn to become part of the church. They are part of the church now.

So let’s pray for them. Let’s encourage them. Let’s teach them the Word of God and give them opportunities to serve.

And young people, if God is leading you to do something for Him, do it. You do not have to wait until you are older to serve the Lord.

You can be one of those mighty arrows in His hand.

Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. But when the Lord is the One doing the building, there is hope for our homes, our churches, our children, and the generations still to come.

September 12, 2026September 12, 2026

Encountering the Risen Lord

John 20

Encountering the Risen Lord
Leads to Faith and Belief
And Belief Leads to Life

Introduction

Mary Magdalene was discouraged by the events of the days preceding the resurrection. She, and many others, had seen their Lord falsely accused and beaten so badly that His flesh was unrecognizable. Then He was made to carry a cross so heavy that He fell under its weight.

They witnessed the awfulness of the crucifixion and heard their Lord cry out, “My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?” Then He cried, “It is finished!” and gave up the Spirit. His own disciples placed His lifeless body in the tomb.

Mary and some other women went to the tomb with spices to prepare His body, wondering how they would move the heavy stone covering the tomb.

They soon realized it had already been removed.

Encounter the Word
John 20:1-10

Mary was coming from the tomb, running to find Peter and John to tell them the tomb was empty!

“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Peter and John ran to the tomb and looked into the place where the Lord’s body should have lain. They saw the cloth that had covered Jesus’ face, folded and put in place. The rest of the grave clothes looked as if they had settled down as they went right through His body, and they had.

Jesus had come back to life. The tomb was empty.

Many times the Lord had tried to prepare them for this moment. He told them He was going to be crucified at the hands of sinful men and would rise again in three days. They had also seen Jesus do unbelievable miracles, like feeding the 5,000. These things helped them believe the words He had spoken, but this encounter was still hard to believe. The empty tomb reminded them of His promises. Since He is the Living Word of God, these realities helped them with their encounter with the Word.

When we hear the Scriptures tell us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and we believe it to be true, it brings conviction. We understand that with this sin problem, we are not fit to be accepted into Heaven.

Then we hear the Word of God, that Jesus Christ loves us and that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you are saved, you have encountered the Word of God. You have not only heard the Word, but you believe it.

Encounter Jesus Personally
John 20:11-20

When Mary had finished talking with Peter and John, she returned to the tomb. There she saw two angels where Jesus once was. They told her Jesus was not there. She still wanted to know where His body was. She turned around to see a man standing with her and supposed He must be a gardener, so she asked Him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

He spoke her name, “Mary,” and she knew that it was Jesus. She cried out to Him, “Rabboni!” which is a term of respect for a teacher.

She had already encountered the Word of God, and now Mary had encountered her risen Lord personally. He was alive!

That is what happens to us when we are saved. We encounter the Word of God, choose to believe it, and meet the Living Lord.

I don’t know what it was like on the day you were saved, or if that day has happened yet. Some people are overcome with sorrow over their sin and the realization that Jesus went to the cross because of it. Others are overcome with joy because they understand that their sins have been forgiven and removed as far as the east is from the west. Our experiences may be different, but we encounter Jesus personally.

Mary heard Jesus speak her name. Did you know Jesus knows your name?

I think about the old children’s song, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” I have a friend who sometimes signs his emails, “Jesus knows me, this I love.” And it’s true. God knows every one of us, and He loves every one of us.

But Mary wasn’t the only one who encountered Jesus. Later that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered behind closed doors when Jesus appeared in their midst and said, “Peace be unto you.”

They had already heard that He would rise again on the third day. Now they were experiencing it for themselves. They encountered Jesus personally.

Move from Skepticism to Belief
John 20:24-28

Much of the world looks at things as if God is not in the picture. There are influences that can cause us to doubt the things of God, what He can do, and whether miracles can happen.

There may be evidence of a miracle, such as when a doctor finds something concerning in an X-ray, and after prayer, we go back for another X-ray and it is gone. The doctor may say he made a mistake the first time, but we know it was God. That may be the kind of miracle the average person encounters today.

But the disciples saw Jesus walk on water. Peter even stepped out of the boat and onto the water. When he took his eyes off the Lord and lost his faith for a moment, he began to sink. His only hope was the living Lord who was there with him. Jesus reached down and picked him up.

Though we have encountered the living Lord, skepticism may still come our way, and many are reluctant to believe.

Verses 24-28 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!“

Have you ever been so ashamed of yourself for failing God that you were in real need of peace? Have you faced turmoil? Aren’t you glad the Word of God comes to remind you that if you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness? There that peace comes once again.

Jesus said, “Peace be unto you.”

I am convinced that Thomas didn’t need to place his hands on Jesus’ side to know it was Him once he saw Him. He knew it was the Lord and cried out, “My Lord and my God!” What a beautiful declaration of faith!

We often refer to him as “Doubting Thomas.” But there was also a believing Thomas. We, too, can go from skepticism to belief.

Belief Leads to Life
John 20:29-31

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

It’s only through Christ and trusting in Him that we can have life. I can’t promise you everything will be wonderful all the time, but I do know that life with God is so much better than the alternative.

Richard Wurmbrand endured years of imprisonment and torture for his faith in Christ. While imprisoned, a guard mocked him for praying and asked what he could possibly have to pray about after everything he had suffered.

Wurmbrand replied, “I can pray for you.” And he did. He had a life in Christ that transcended what was happening around him.

Jesus has come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

One person I knew was close to death, and her loved ones tried to comfort her by telling her she would get better. I heard her say, “I don’t know whether I will or not, but I am so excited to go to Heaven.” Then she turned to me and said, “Isn’t that what you’ve preached about for 50 years?”

Heaven is real, too. If you have encountered the Word of God and the living Lord and have put your faith and trust in Him, you know Him.

That leads to life, life abundantly, and eternal life in Heaven.

Do you have that today? If not, today could be the day.

August 31, 2026September 12, 2026

God’s Instructions for a New Nation

Micah 6:8

He has shown you O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

Love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

God’s Instructions to a New Nation

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Introduction

“I can’t get in!” said George Duffield, the new Presbyterian pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His friends watched him standing at the locked church door and called, “Come over here!” He followed them to the side of the church, where they opened a window and pushed him in. He then opened the doors for them. Duffield faced opposition to his ministry even before the Revolutionary War. His support for independence later caused him more trouble, but he eventually became accepted and preached for more than 50 years.

One of Rob Morgan’s 100 verses that made America is Micah 6:8. John Winthrop referenced this verse in his famous sermon, A City on a Hill. John Adams frequently mentioned it, and George Washington referenced it in his 1783 Circular Letter to the States.

God’s Instructions to a New Nation | Do Justly

At the beginning of the war, the British put a price on George Duffield’s head! He went into hiding to protect his life. British soldiers took possession of his church, turned it into a hospital, and burned the pews to keep their soldiers warm. Still, Duffield continued to be an active military chaplain.

There is an old saying often attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville: “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” The passage of Scripture we are focused on tells us to do justly. One translation puts it like this: “do what is right.”

An old friend of mine, Stan, owned a carpet company with his brother. One time a church made a large carpet purchase from his company. Unfortunately, the carpet didn’t hold up well, and the threads began pulling out. Stan called the manufacturer to make it right, but they would neither replace the carpet nor compensate him.

Stan knew replacing it from his own inventory would cost him a lot of money. Still, he did what was right and replaced all the carpet the church needed at no charge. It seemed Stan lost a lot of money that day, but word got around that his business had integrity and stood behind its product. Who knows how many sales came over the years because he did what was right?

The world tells us to look out for number one. It would tell Stan the defective carpet wasn’t his fault, so why should he lose money? Let the manufacturer deal with it! But the Bible says to do justly. Do what is right.

God’s Instructions to a New Nation | Love Mercy

Stan was also a friend I went to high school with, and he showed that same integrity even back then. We had study hall together. If you’re smart, you’ll get your homework done and study. If you’re like a lot of us, you go in there and mess around.

There were only four of us in the class. One of the coaches was our teacher, and he felt there were better things to do than sit with four students. He told us, “Hey guys, I’m not going to be in here,” and gave us freedom to have fun in the gym. I asked if we could go outside. “Sure,” he said, “as long as you don’t go around the other rooms.” It was going to be a great year. We’d just had freedom handed to us.

One day Stan and another friend, Steve, were playing tag. Steve ran into the gym with Stan chasing him, then held the door shut from the other side. Stan got an idea! Holding the doorknob, he put his foot on the door frame. I heard a cracking noise. The crack went up both sides and across the top. Just like that, the door fell open.

We had torn up the gym door, and we knew it. Steve got as far away as possible. Stan and I thought maybe we could fix it quickly, but the ag teacher walked up. Have you ever done something you know is your fault and wondered what the consequences would be? I wondered if I was going to get kicked out of school. Our parents could have been called in. There could have been a school board meeting.

Instead, the ag teacher, who was known for being a Christian man, looked at the damage and told Stan, “The shop is right over here. Let’s get the hammer and nails.” They came back and fixed the door frame. Justice could have come down on us that day, but he showed mercy. Do justly. But also, love mercy.

An old story is told about a soldier under the great general Napoleon who deserted his army. He was caught and brought back, facing a penalty that could have been death. His mother learned he would appear before Napoleon for judgment and somehow made her way around the guards to plead for her son.

Napoleon told her that her son deserved the justice coming to him and that he wanted to make an example of him. She did not argue his innocence. She fell to her knees and said, “Sir, I do not ask for justice. I ask for mercy.” Napoleon was so touched that he granted mercy and allowed her son to live.

The Bible tells us to do justly, to do what is right. Those words of Scripture were applied to this new nation. We were told America is great because she is good. She does justly because she shows mercy. But if America ever ceases to do good, she will no longer be great.

The world says, “Fight back! Take care of number one.” But Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek.” Hanging on the cross, He looked at those crucifying Him and mercifully said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” We can know Christ as our Savior because Jesus is merciful to us. On our behalf He said, “Father, forgive them.”

God’s Instructions to a New Nation | Walk Humbly with Your God

There was a man whose life stretched from the Civil War into WWII. Granny Clampett called the Civil War “the war of northern aggression!” It was a time in America we aren’t proud of, when human slavery was taking place. George Washington Carver was born into slavery during this time. When he grew up, he became an important part of the Tuskegee Institute, one of the early Black colleges in America.

While doing research there, Carver prayed God would give him knowledge of peanut crops. He did all kinds of experiments, and God answered those prayers. He found over 300 uses for peanuts, helping produce a better market for the crop and becoming a well-known man in the United States.

A story is told of Dr. Carver standing in a hotel lobby one day in his everyday clothes. A white traveler walked in, saw him and said, “Hey boy! Get my bags!” Dr. Carver picked up the man’s bags, no questions asked. The hotel proprietor was shocked. “Oh, Dr. Carver! You don’t have to do that. I’ll get someone to take care of it.” The traveler realized his mistake and asked, “Are you Dr. Carver?” Carver simply said, “At your service.”

To walk humbly with our God is our third instruction. The disciples once argued as they walked about which of them would be the greatest. Jesus asked what they were arguing about, and they were ashamed. He used a small child to teach them about greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven and that they must humble themselves and become like children.

In reading the whole passage, we learn what George Washington Carver had learned. Jesus teaches that true greatness is to humbly serve others without thought of reward. Have you ever thought about how Jesus is the Lord of Glory? He was the Lord of Heaven! The Son was in Heaven with the Father and the Spirit, with angels to do His bidding.

Yet He came to earth knowing Judas would betray Him. Jesus was in the garden when Roman soldiers and authorities came to capture Him. When Jesus identified Himself, they drew back and fell to the ground. Still, He willingly allowed them to carry Him off to Pilate.

Here was the Lord of Glory humbling Himself. He became a little lower than the angels, just as the Bible says we all are. He left Heaven’s glory to come to earth and live as humans do. The most powerful being in the universe experienced tiredness and thirst. He was mocked, spit on, and had hairs plucked from His beard. He experienced it all willingly. He came to humbly serve us as a loving Savior.

Conclusion

Jesus is our King. He is The King! He is my King. Oh! He’s such a wonderful King. He is the One who was willing to lay down His power and give His life as a ransom for sin.

You and I owe a debt we cannot pay. He paid that debt in full so that we might be saved. So I ask you, is He your Savior today?

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025

Nail Your Book Writing Format Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind)

So, you’re writing a book. You’ve got the ideas. The passion. Maybe even a killer opening line. But then—bam! The formatting monster shows up. Margins? Indents? Font choices? Suddenly you’re knee-deep in settings you didn’t even know existed. Let’s work on nailing your book writing format like a pro, and let’s do it in a way that would keep you from losing your mine.

Relax. You’re not alone, and you’re definitely not doomed.

Whether you’re writing the next great novel, a business book, or a memoir about that wild summer in ’88 (you know the one), your book writing format matters. Why? Because formatting is like clothing for your words—it can either make your manuscript look like it’s headed to a job interview or like it just rolled out of bed with bedhead and coffee stains.

So let’s dress that manuscript for success.

Below are the five essential pillars of great book writing format—especially if you’re planning to self-publish. These aren’t fluff tips either. This is the real-deal, get-it-right-the-first-time stuff. Let’s go!

Nail Your Book Writing Format Without Losing Your Mind

✅ 1. Book Writing Format: Choose Reader-Friendly Fonts and Sizes

Your story might be fire, but if it’s dressed in Comic Sans or written in 8-point Papyrus, readers will run—not walk—to the next book on the shelf. Fonts matter, and not just to designers. They set the tone, affect readability, and play a surprising role in your credibility as an author.

For print books, go classic with serif fonts like:

Times New Roman (the old faithful)
Georgia (slightly softer on the eyes)
Garamond (for that subtle, elegant touch)

Stick to 11- or 12-point font size. Anything smaller screams “please squint,” and anything larger makes your book look like it’s shouting at people.

For digital formats, you’ll want fonts that translate well to screens, like:

Arial
Calibri
Verdana

Digital readers can adjust font size, but don’t make them wrestle with a weird default. Think smooth, clean, and readable.

Pro tip: If you’re using a tool like Vellum or Atticus, you’ll have presets that take the guesswork out. But if you’re formatting manually—this part matters.

✅ 2. Book Writing Format: Use Clear, Consistent Paragraph Formatting

Here’s where things can get real messy, real fast.

First off: DO NOT hit the space bar five times to indent your paragraphs. This is 2025, not 1997. Let the software do the heavy lifting.

Set your paragraph style to first-line indent of 0.5 inches. You can do this in Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, or pretty much any writing program with a settings button.

Next up: line spacing. Aim for 1.5 or double-spacing. Not only is this easier on the eyes, but it also makes your manuscript easier to edit and proofread later. Bonus: It won’t look like your words are gasping for air.

And for the love of clarity: avoid extra line breaks between paragraphs unless you’re shifting scenes or thoughts. Think tidy, not cramped. Spacious, not sloppy.

✅ 3. Book Writing Format: Adapt Layout for Medium (Print vs. Digital)

A one-size-fits-all format? Not a thing. What works beautifully in a paperback might be a formatting disaster on Kindle.

For print books:

Fully justify your text so both left and right margins look crisp and clean.
Set mirrored margins to allow space for binding (aka the gutter).
Add page numbers, but skip numbering your title page or copyright page.
Use page breaks between chapters—not just a handful of carriage returns. That’s amateur hour.

For ebooks:

Left-align your text. Justified alignment can cause awkward spacing on small screens.
Use reflowable text, meaning your book adjusts itself to fit any screen size. (No locked-in pages, please.)
Skip fancy headers and footers—they won’t show up well and can frustrate readers.
Include hyperlinked navigation so readers can tap and jump to chapters. Trust me, your future fans will thank you.

Remember: Amazon KDP and other self-publishing platforms have their quirks. Always preview your file using their tools before hitting “publish.” It’s like spellcheck for formatting.

✅ 4. Book Writing Format: Keep Chapters Organized and Navigable

Imagine trying to read a book with no chapter breaks, no table of contents, and no idea where you left off. That’s not a book—it’s a hostage situation.

Break your book into clearly defined chapters, and start each one on a new page. This isn’t just about looks—it’s about logic and flow.

And don’t skip the table of contents, especially for ebooks. It’s not just a courtesy, it’s a sanity saver. Bonus points if your TOC is clickable—nothing says “I’m a pro” like smart navigation.

While you’re at it, consider using consistent chapter headings like:

Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins
Chapter 2: That One Time Everything Exploded

Even if you don’t use titles, numbering matters. Keep it clean, keep it consistent.

✅ 5. Book Writing Format: Prioritize Consistency and Professional Presentation

Formatting isn’t just about looking good—it’s about building trust with your reader. If your font jumps around, your headings change styles mid-book, or your margins mysteriously shift, it sends a not-so-subtle message: “This book might be a mess.”

Start by picking your style choices early:

Font and size
Heading hierarchy (e.g., Chapter Title = Heading 1, Subsection = Heading 2)
Margins, line spacing, and indents

Then—stick with them like your book depends on it (because it does).

Not sure if you’re nailing it? Use tools like:

Vellum (Mac only, super intuitive)
Atticus (cross-platform, built for authors)
Reedsy Book Editor (free and web-based)

Or—if formatting gives you hives—hire a pro. Seriously. A good formatter can take your raw manuscript and turn it into a sleek, bookstore-ready product. It’s not cheating. It’s smart.

Would you like to know more about writing a book? Here is a good place to start. Also, if you would like a whole book on the subject, get a great one here.

Final Thoughts: Formatting is the Secret Sauce

You don’t need to be a design expert to format your book like a boss—but you do need to care enough to get it right. Great formatting doesn’t draw attention to itself. It lets your words shine.

So go ahead, write that masterpiece. But when it’s time to format? Give it the same love and attention you gave your plot twist or killer first sentence.

Your readers might not consciously notice perfect formatting—but they’ll definitely notice when it’s wrong.

And remember: Good content gets people to buy your book. Good formatting keeps them reading it.

May 3, 2024May 3, 2024

Want To Write A Book | Where To Start

I’m going to kick things off by surmising that you have a book idea in the oven, but before you preheat to 350 degrees and start baking that literary cake, you’ll want to figure out who’s coming to the party. Establishing who your audience is isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; it’s central to the success of your book.

You’re probably asking, ‘Why does this matter?’ Simply put, knowing your audience shapes everything from the tone and vocabulary of your book to the marketing strategies you’ll employ upon release. It’s about setting the stage for a conversation between you and your readers where the topic is your book.

Now, how exactly do you zoom in on your audience? Start with demographic parameters like age, gender, and interests, sure. But don’t stop there. Dig into the psychographic aspects too, like values, aspirations, and challenges. This isn’t just about compiling data; it’s about getting to the heart of your readers’ desires and fears.

Once you have a rough sketch of who your audience is, it’s time to test and adjust. Beta readers, surveys, and social media can all be instruments in your symphony of audience understanding. Through them, you can observe firsthand what resonates and what falls flat.

Right about now, you might be realizing that identifying your audience is also a process of self-discovery. Choose something that resonates with you as much as with them. After all, the best books emerge from the intersection of the author’s passion and the audience’s interests.

Uncover the Challenge: Pinpointing the Problem Your Audience Faces

I’m here to help you with a crucial step that’s going to include putting yourself in your audience’s shoes. Understanding the challenge your readers are up against isn’t just a matter of intuition; it’s an art of empathy. When you know what bothers or confuses them, or what obstacles they can’t seem to overcome, you’re on the right track to providing a solution that resonates with them.

In my opinion, the core of a compelling book is one that targets a clear, relatable problem. This isn’t just an issue to be solved; it’s a way to connect with your readers on a deeper level. If you want to make your book indispensable, you’ll need to pin down a problem that’s both significant and specific to your audience.

Now, identifying the problem isn’t something you take a wild guess at. Conduct thorough research; talk to people in your target group, engage with them on social media, and immerse yourself in the environments where they express their concerns. Surveys and interviews can also yield goldmines of insight.

Once you’ve gathered this information, distill it into a clearly defined problem statement. Choose something that resonates with you, too. Remember, the sharper the identification of the problem, the more precise your solution will be. And a precise solution is what makes your readers’ lives easier.

Now, what if you’re worried about not getting it quite right? Don’t. Your first attempt at a problem statement doesn’t need to be the last. Refinement is your friend here. Get feedback, adjust, and move forward. It’s this cycle that ensures you’re developing a book that’s truly tailored to your audience’s needs.

In the next section, I’m going to take you through how to turn these problems into opportunities. That means creating actionable steps that directly combat the issues at hand. We’re going to build a stellar roadmap for your readers that’s both practical and implementable. Stay tuned.

Crafting the Solution: Steps to Solve Your Audience’s Problem

This isn’t just about writing any book; it’s about creating a resource that genuinely helps your readers. Now what? After identifying and empathizing with your audience’s challenge, it’s time to outline actionable steps to solve their problem. You can always adjust your approach down the road, but having a solid starting point is critical.

Begin with brainstorming 5 to 7 clear, practical steps based on your expertise and the needs of your readers. These steps aren’t arbitrary; each one should serve as a milestone towards a tangible solution. Don’t worry too much about the details at this stage. The goal is to create a scaffold for your content.

Strive for a balance between depth and simplicity. Yes, your steps should be comprehensive, but also accessible. If your first step seems too complex, break it down. Each step must be actionable and specific enough that your reader can see progress as they go along.

Confirm that each step relates directly to the problem you’ve identified. If a step seems off-topic, it’s not helpful. Clear relevance is what will make your book resonate with your audience. In my opinion, relevance is what differentiates a good book from a great one.

With your steps as the foundation, you’re going to find out about building upon them in the next section, where the focus will be on transitioning from a basic outline to a full-fledged book. Choose something that resonates with you as a structure to expand upon, ensuring it can withstand the addition of complex ideas and research.

Expanding the Framework: Building a Comprehensive Book Structure

You’ve pinpointed the problem, and you have your golden steps ready to guide your readers towards a solution. But hold on, you’re not just going to hand over a list of steps and call it a day. You’re crafting a book, a resource that your readers will cling to, refer back to, and maybe even pass on to friends. And that’s where structuring your thoughts into a comprehensive guide comes into play.

Think of your initial outline as the skeleton of your book. Each bone—or step—in that skeleton is fundamental, but it’s the flesh and muscles—or chapters and sections—that make it walk and talk. Your job now is to expand those solid steps into engaging, informative chapters that provide depth and context. This isn’t about padding your book with fluff; it’s about adding value, enriching the narrative, and honing in on the practical application.

How do you make that leap? Start with research. Delve into what’s out there already. Take a good look at the tables of contents of books addressing similar topics. This isn’t about mirroring what’s already done but about understanding what resonates with your audience. Identify gaps in the existing literature that your book can fill. Maybe there’s a perspective that’s underrepresented, or perhaps there’s an area that’s been overlooked.

Then, it’s time to draw out your chapters. Flesh out the outline with relevant anecdotes, case studies, and your unique insights. Develop each step into a chapter that’s robust with actionable advice, clear descriptions, and illustrative examples. If you’re tackling complex concepts, break them down into digestible pieces. Your reader should be able to put down the book at the end of each chapter with a clearer understanding and tangible takeaways.

Remember, there’s a lot happening in the publishing world, and you want your book to stand out for all the right reasons. Emphasize clarity, practicality, and a narrative that captures and keeps interest. Bounce your drafts off trusted readers; get feedback and refine as you go along. Your first draft is just that—a draft. It’s your springboard to something greater.

Choose something that resonates with you and your readers—something you’re passionate about but also offers them real, substantial help. I really hope that you find this journey of turning your problem-solving steps into a comprehensive book as rewarding as it is challenging. As you venture through this process, remember that your first attempt doesn’t need to be your last. You can always adjust and refine. Good luck with your book-writing journey—I’m cheering for you!

Check out my book on Amazon if you would like more writing tips.

April 2, 2022April 5, 2022

Rules for Writing Fiction

I hope you’re having a great day. Let’s talk about rules for writing fiction. I guess you could say these are Randy’s informal rules for writing fiction.

Walking with Randy Video

I have written a longer fiction book, which I have not published yet, but most of my fiction writing involves providing illustrations for sermons and other nonfiction writing. However, I have picked up a lot of tips along the way.

1. There Are No Rules

Rule number one: remember there are no rules. In other words, you can be creative. Have fun as you’re thinking about fiction. You may come up with a new technique that many people in the future will be following. So first of all, there are no rules.

2. To Your Own Self Be True

Rule number two: to your own self be true. This should take a lot of pressure off as you’re getting ready to write fiction. Just have fun as you’re doing it.

Your story can be a reflection of yourself

3. Balance Being True to Yourself & Finding Out What Readers Like

Even though there are no hard and fast rules for writing fiction, you want to balance being true to yourself and finding out what readers like. Well, that is if you want to make money from your writing, or if you want to have a wider audience for your fiction writing.

Then balance being true to yourself, but also do market research. Find out what people like, and then do a lot of reading yourself. Find out what you like in fiction writing

4. GO! When You’re on a Roll

Number four: go when you’re on a roll. When you’re writing, there are those days when it’s just coming easily and just so much fun. On days like those, just keep the words flowing. Now, I would encourage you to have a goal to get the story finished. Get it done.

You may be very analytical and a perfectionist, and you may edit every day. Well, that’s fine, but I would encourage you to be sure that you get your story written down.

While you’re on a roll, just go with it. Don’t worry about correcting everything; even if you’re one of those perfectionists. Then at the end of your writing session for the day, you can go back through and do the editing.

When you're on a roll, keep going! — When you’re on a roll, keep going!

Now many of us, or at least some of us, can do well by just going through and getting the entire project done and then going back and doing the editing. But either way, daily editing or editing when you’re all done will work. But when you’re on a roll, go with it! That’s when writing is the most fun: when you’re inspired.

Although if you force yourself to have a daily goal, several weeks later, you may look back and not be able to figure out which days you were on a roll and which days you just did the discipline of getting the words down on paper. That always amazes me.

5. Find a Good Editor

Rule number five in my unofficial rules for writing fiction is to find a good editor or learn the skill yourself. It really depends on how you’re going about doing it. If you’re going to be self-publishing, then you can either find a good editor editor, or you can learn the skill yourself.

It may be that you’re already good in certain areas. For example, you may be good at proofreading or you may be good with punctuation and grammar. If not, then you may need to find someone to help you. So you need to either find a good editor or learn the skill yourself.

Now as far as the flow of the story, and the overall theme of the story, you are the best editor for your own book. You know it inside out. You know the message that you want to be presented.

6. Develop Interesting Characters

Number six: develop interesting characters. How can you make your characters interesting? Well, they’re interesting to you. That’s the first clue. But you can start by developing a certain type of character. To build interesting characters, you will want them to have some flaws, a backstory, some quirks, and an inner struggle. So the sixth rule for writing fiction is to develop interesting characters.

7. Have a Goal

Rule number seven: have a goal. The story is going somewhere. You’re trying to save the world: you’re trying to solve a problem, you’re trying to get somewhere in the story. You want to have a goal.

Write your story with an ultimate goal in mind

You also will want to have obstacles to that goal. Include the ups and downs and overcoming of obstacles.

Of course, you want to have an ultimate victory, or at least those of us in the Western world want to have an ultimate victory. Like the old fairy tale genre, we want to have happy endings.

As I said earlier, there are no rules. You can do it differently. But these are Randy’s rules for writing fiction.

8. Have an External & Internal Story

The last “rule” is to have an external story and an internal story. The external story involves the circumstances, the settings, and things you can see outwardly taking place in the story.

Then the internal story involves the struggles that are within the main character or some of the other characters. It’s good if you have these elements in your stories.

One More Suggestion

An additional idea is to add a philosophical point to your story. That is if a certain philosophy is important to you. Again, remember, there are no rules for writing fiction. An example of a philosophical story is, “Good overcomes evil.” You may have a philosophy like that that you want to present, even though you’re writing fiction.

Well, those are my eight rules for writing fiction, plus a bonus suggestion.
There are no rules
To your own self be true
Balance, being true to yourself with finding out what readers want
Go! when you’re on a roll,
Find a good editor or learn the skill yourself
Develop interesting characters
Have a goal
Have an external and internal story
BONUS: Add a philosophical point

I hope these eight rules for writing fiction will be helpful for you. For more tips like these, go to the top of the blog and click on “writing“. Or, go to Amazon and get my book “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death”.

Until next time, I’m Randy Carney and I want you to remember YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!

February 4, 2022

28-Day Writing Challenge – Day 13: Remaining Chapter Writing Plans & Set-Ups for Headings & Subheadings

There's a lot involved in getting a book published.

Welcome everyone to day 13 of the 28-day writing challenge. I want to report on my progress today. I decided to change course just a little bit.

Day 13 vlog.

You may recall from yesterday, one of the things I had gotten done was create mind maps for the remaining chapters. Today, I have fleshed out more of those writing plans for the three remaining chapters, which are chapters 14, 15, and 16. I then went into the document and I put in headings and subheadings for all three of those chapters. I may write some more today, but I’m not sure.

Progress

I really think that by the end of the day tomorrow, unless something unforeseen comes up, I will be caught up and all the new chapters will have been rough drafted. I really think that that’s going to come about.

Steps to getting that book written. — Steps to getting it done.

Then, if my copying and pasting go well, I may have those first seven chapters put in. If not, I will get that done Monday.

Ahead of Schedule

But I want to remind you that tomorrow will be day 14, which will be halfway through the writing challenge, and I will have the rough draft done by then.

Normally I would finish that on day 24 and use the remaining four days to do the editing, so I’m going to have a lot more time for editing. I’ll get my regular first-round edits done next week, which would be through day 19. Then I’ll just get to do more and more polishing.

Next Steps

I will start thinking about having a book launch and a launch team to help me do that. I will also start working on a cover.

Writing a book involves more than just writing.

I was really pleased with the last cover that I had made and I’m going to see if Katrina Richmond (my assistant) will give me some ideas again. Hers were so good, I just picked it out last time. I might get some more to look at too as we do it this time but we will just see how it works out.

Anyway, that’s all for today. I hope you’re doing well. Remember, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!

January 28, 2022January 28, 2022

28-Day Writing Challenge – Day 7

Hello, everyone, welcome to day seven of the 28-day writing challenge. Well, today I got the next chapter, number 9, done for the book I am working on. I still have 2 questions to answer for that chapter. I need to do more research.

As I mentioned, you can, if you have your book blueprinted out, start on any chapter you want to, or even parts of a chapter.

Vlog for day 7

Research Codes

I’ve mentioned before that one of the ways that you can handle taming your research is to use certain codes. What I mean by that is you can research and research and research and never get started writing.

When you come to the point where you need to get started writing you will come to items that will need further research or that you may need to corroborate to make sure that your facts are right.

One of the ways of handling that is to put special symbols like three asterisks (***) together. Then when you do a search and replace you can just go to those areas where the *** and you can put in your new information.

I’ve been told that the letters T and K right next to each other don’t appear in any words in the English language. I haven’t really checked that out myself. But since I’ve tried it I’ve not run across any so it’s easy to just go and put in the “TK” in an area where you need to do some research.

Don’t stop right there when you’re on a roll, especially if you’re using this faster writing method. Just put in your code there. You may put XXX, or ***, or TK. Then when you’re ready, search for that and it will take you right to the spot where you need to put in the information.

If you do your research this way, it becomes very targeted and relevant research because you are searching for specific information instead of getting tons of information that you may not use.

So using research codes is a little tip for you as you’re doing this.

There’s Still Time

I’m still one day behind, but I think that I will get back on track. Am I the eternal optimist? I don’t know. If I’m the eternal optimist, that means that won’t ever get back on track. But as a realist, I probably will be back on track before the end of this week.

Still moving forward — Still in this race!

How about you? How’s it going for you? Have you planned out your book? Have you figured out how long you want your book to be as a starting point? Have you figured out some chapter titles for your book? Have you gone further than that and perhaps made some outlines for your book? Have you come up with some headings to put in for your chapters?

Maybe you have gone through those blog posts that I recommended and followed the method that I’m using where you come up with 12 to 18 ideas. You then eliminate three of those ideas, put the ideas in the best order, then turn each idea into a statement or a question, and finally turn all of your statements into questions.

If you use that method, you will end up with anywhere from nine to 15 questions. Then, you need at least three “trigger words” to remind you of the answers to each of your questions. What happens if you don’t use all of your trigger words? Well, if it triggered you to be on a roll, it doesn’t matter. You’re the only one that knows what those trigger words were, anyway, although I do try to use them all.

This book is a very useful tool. — A helpful tool.

Now, there is a book that tells you how to do that. It’s called “How to Write a Book in 28 Days or Less Without Stressing Yourself to Death.”

I encourage you to go over to Amazon and check it out.

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful day. Remember, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK.

January 24, 2022January 26, 2022

28-Day Writing Challenge – Day 4

Welcome to day four of the 28-day book writing challenge. I have to confess that I did not get everything done that I wanted to get done today.

6-Figure Writing and Blog Post Suggestion

I want to tell you about something you can find on this blog, which is randycarney.com or randysblogs.com Either one will get you to the same place. If you go to the top of the page, you will see a tab that says “Writing,” and there’s a down arrow beside it. If you hover over that you will see “Six-Figure Writing” pop up. If you click on that, it will take you to a page about a course that you can get that will give you weekly lessons for writing.

Now if you go back one page and click on “Writing” again, go to the bottom of the page and click the arrow to the right to go back to about 3 pages. The best way to find the posts I’m talking about is to look for the dates. I’m recommending the blog posts from January 25 through March 2.

I suggest reading some selected posts from the writing section of my blog. — Suggested reading

They all talk about how you can come up with a writing plan for your book. They will tell you how to have a plan for each chapter in your book. I did not get that far along yet this time. If you are doing this 28 days following along you’ll have to do as I do. You will either have to spend more time one day beyond just the writing to catch up and finish out to writing plan.

But you need to at least get the first chapter planned out. Then Monday, whenever you write that chapter, you’ll spend a little extra time getting chapters two and three at least planned out. Or if you just have extra time or you could spend an extra hour and knock out a bunch of those chapter plans. How to do is found on the blog posts from January 25 through March 2. I would encourage you to go and read all of those, take notes, and get a grasp of how this is going to work.

My Progress

I would like to have had my whole book blueprinted out from here. A blueprint is just a chapter writing plan. But on this 28-day challenge, the goal is to be able to work about 75 to 90 minutes a day. Some days it will take two hours, some days you might have to have some catch-up days.

The Schedule

We’re not writing 28 consecutive days in this challenge. We are doing four days as the first week, and then we will have four weeks of five days in the week. In other words, we started on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. So we have four days the first week. I’m not counting Saturdays and Sundays. So then the next four weeks we will have 20 days (5 days a week) so that will be 24 days, and then the last week will be another four days and that will finish up our 28 days. Not consecutive. I’ll be taking Sundays off and I’m going to be using Saturday for a catch-up and you can do that too. If you’re following along and you’re trying to do this, I pray that things are going well for you.

Heading into Day Four

So yesterday I talked about surveying the top 10 books in your category. I did the category of marriage in general and then I got more specific and I was surprised that when I typed in “valuing your spouse,” I did come up with several books. That phrase wasn’t in the title, but there were quite a few that were relevant to what I was talking about. So that was very good.

Brainstorming & Grouping Ideas

What I’m attempting to do today is brainstorm. I came up with the research from those books, I made notes from the table of contents, and I put in some quotes. Then after I did that, I came up with two pages of just brainstorming. So, we did the brainstorming,

For today I was able to survey nine books. I wrote down chapter titles that stood out to me and a quote or two that were interesting to me. Then as I already mentioned, I brainstormed and filled up two more pages of ideas.

After that, I grouped those ideas using symbols (as I talked about on day 3), putting the ideas that were similar together putting a symbol by those ideas. I put a triangle by a number of ideas that were similar. Then I put a square beside a number of ideas that were similar, I put a checkmark by ideas that were similar. I did that until I got all the way through my list. I did have some that were outliers that didn’t fit into groups.

Chapter Length

So I could easily come up with ideas for about 10 more chapters. As I said I already had seven chapters. So this would make the book about 170 pages long. If I followed the strict way of doing this the older way of coming up with 10 pages per chapter.

However, as I’ve mentioned, the new idea is that books are shorter than they were in the past and that’s what is preferred by readers. So if I allow the chapters to be six to 10 pages long, the final result we can have somewhere between 130 and 170 pages.

That’s quite encouraging because I wondered if I would be able to even come up with the 100 or 120 that I was shooting for, to begin with.

Chapter Titles

Tomorrow I will be coming up with the chapter titles, and then a list of ideas that go with each chapter. (This is a summary of what you will find in those suggested blog posts) I will come up with keep putting ideas down until I get 12 to 18 ideas, then I will eliminate three. That means I will end up doing nine to 15 ideas to do the chapter plan.

I arrange those ideas in the best order and then turn each of those ideas into to a statement, a question, or a sentence. Having done that, then I go through the list again, and I make all of the ideas questions. Then I will write down three trigger words or ideas that will remind me of the answers to the question.

That takes some time, and it’s probably more than the allotted 75 to 90 minutes. But once it is done, it just makes everything else flow together so much more easily so I will be glad to spend the extra time either tomorrow or just extra minutes in the day.

Next Week

Next week is when I get started in earnest because I’m going to write my first new chapter. If you recall, I already have seven chapters, which I will tweak somewhat but I will be starting my first full chapter Monday.

That would possibly be the first chapter of your book.

So, I encourage you to go look at those six or seven blog posts from January 25. through March 2. That will show you what I’m attempting to do today and tomorrow and maybe for a few extra hours next week.

But once that outline, that plan is done then the rest of the time will just be spent spending 75 to 90 minutes on getting those things done. If I do shorter chapters it might just be 60 minutes on those. If you read the blog posts, you’ll better understand what I’m talking about.

Today’s Wrap-Up

Remember if you don’t already have a timer, I would highly recommend using one because it really works. It’s what worked for me; even in the brainstorming. You can spend hours and hours and be all over the place and the timer helps to narrow things down for you. You can always add things later. But it helped me to narrow things down.

I came up with 10 groups, although I haven’t named those groups yet, because they’re all very similar. Those could be for 10 more chapters as I look at it more closely. I may combine some of those and figure out which ones to eliminate.

That’s all for today. I hope you have a great day and remember: YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!

January 24, 2022February 11, 2022

28-Day Writing Challenge – Day 3

Welcome to day three of the 28-day writing challenge. I’m glad you’re joining me today.

Yesterday we talked about the number of chapters that we’re trying to get our books to. In my case, I figured out that I had enough material I had already written for seven chapters. Now of course some of that will have to be tweaked, but I think I have that much material.

My goal is to do maybe five more chapters. Now that’s not set in stone. That will just bring me up to 125 pages. I can go as high as 200 pages if that’s what it takes to cover my topic. Right now, however, I’m looking for enough ideas for five more chapters.

Time Management

What I want to talk about on day three is time management. You typically want to set aside 75 to 90 minutes a day for working on your book. Some of you may be able to do this in 45 minutes or so, but that would probably be the exception. Generally speaking for me I’m thinking of 75 to 90 minutes every day. Of course, I do have to work around my other schedules.

A timer can help you accomplish your goals. — Using a timer helps with time management.

How are we going to accomplish this? In my case, I’m going to use my magic kitchen timer. What that does is it forces us forces me not to edit too much as I’m going along. This is not the final product, so nobody’s going to see this but me. So the timer forces me not to edit too much as I’m going along. I can allow some typos and spelling errors as I’m doing this because it’s all going to be rearranged before I get to the final product. The timer creates an artificial deadline and we respond to deadlines.

What’s Next?

Today, I want to do two things. One was going to Amazon and researching books that are similar to the ones that we want to write. Now, I will say that since my book is about valuing your spouse, I suspect I may have a little challenge in finding other books on that topic. I am writing about the importance of valuing your spouse and the importance of having similar values. Now there’ll be a lot of books about values and Christian values. So I’ll be looking at some of those as I’m going along.

The second thing: I’m going to set my timer for 15 minutes as I do this. I don’t know how much research I’ll get done in the first 15 minutes, but I will set it again and I may do it as many as three times.

But after that the times up, I’m going to take a sheet of paper and fold it over, and I’m going to just start writing down ideas. I’ll have the timer set for this also, probably for 15 minutes. I’ll fill up that side, flip it over, and fill up that side. If I need more room, I’ll get another sheet of paper. fill up the page. So that’s how I do what I call a “brain dump.”

Getting Organized

Organization is crutial. — It’s time to organize your list.

Then if you have time, you can see in the above video, I have several different symbols drawn. There’s a checkmark, left and right arrows, up and down arrows, triangles, squares, and circles. You’ll have this big list of random ideas and you will use a symbol to group similar ideas together. So all of those that are similar under the checkmarks, and then other ones that are similar under squares, and so on. That’s how we’re going to do that. We’re going to do the “brain dump” and then classify ideas into groups.

These steps will be very helpful because the groups may end up being our chapters.

So that’s the plan for what I’m going to do next. Then tomorrow, we will create the plan for the writing of our books. In my case, I may only need five days in the 28-day plan we actually have 20 days. So if I get my five days to work the way that I want to, then I will have some time to do more editing of the book than I would have in a normal 28 Day Challenge.

However, if you are planning on 20 chapters, then you’re probably going to fill up the 20 days if you are using 75 to 90 minutes a day.

So today I will research similar books, I’m going to do a brain dump and I’m going to group those ideas. I want to set my timer in 15-minute intervals. Tomorrow I’ll talk more about how you can create a plan that will cry out to you to write your book and you will look at that and it will just say, “Write me!”

I hope you had a good day today. Remember, YOU CAN WRITE A BOOK!