Welcome to the third year of A Call to Pens! I hope you're glad to be "back." I'm certainly excited to be coordinating the competition for a second time. I look forward to reading your stories, but I also look forward to the opportunity to stretch ourselves mentally and spiritually as a group and to reflect on the truth, the goodness, and the beauty of our God, and the mysteries that surround Him.
To briefly quote the announcement:
In 1 Corinthians 10:31, the apostle Paul exhorts us to "do everything for the glory of God," whether "you eat or drink or whatever you do." Creativity is a gift from God, one of those essential characteristics that make us human and can have an immense impact on the way people think and feel. If we wish to glorify God and influence the culture by writing fiction, whether as a hobby or as a life-long career, we need to study our craft and think wisely about our creative choices. The purpose of the blog is to give practical advice about writing, but also to share valuable resources, encourage interaction between fellow writers, and provoke discussion about what it means to be a Christian writer.
What does this entail? Topics might include how to handle writer's block, the characteristics of an excellent writer, the power of the Christian imagination, clarity and style, the most influential Christian novelists of the past century (or of today), and much more. You'll reap the benefit of advice from several different writers: featured authors like C.S. Lewis or G.K. Chesterton, for example, but also students, alumni, and even professors from Patrick Henry College, who will be contributing their thoughts to the blog as well. I hope you will find this not only an instructive experience but also a very enjoyable one!
But we want to hear from you as well. Much of what I post will respond directly to your questions and your concerns. So if you do have questions - about the contest, writing in general, the connection between Christianity and fiction, or whatever - let me know. Post them here or submit them to shortstory@phc.edu. And feel free to share your own insights or answer questions other people might ask. The more we interact with each other, the more we benefit from each other. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)
Well, that's it for now. Next week I will post about the contest themes, courage and endurance. In the past, I've found that there is always some confusion concerning "what I can/should/want to write about." Hopefully, we can eliminate that obscurity. If you have thoughts or questions about the upcoming topic, let me know and I will respond to them in my post.
In Christ,
Crista Richey
A Call to Pens Competition Coordinator
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