If you’re here, you’re probably involved in writing or publishing in some way. Perhaps you are an author, an editor, a translator, or work to publish other people’s work. Perhaps you fulfil several of these rôles!
And you’re also probably a Christian, because these are the two things that unite us in the wonderful MAI family: words, and a love for God.
I’m guessing, too, if you’re reading this, that the desire of your heart is to produce excellent, culturally relevant material that speaks the truth, to equip and strengthen the church of God, and to reach out to those who do not yet know Jesus.
Bringing such material out into the world needs a team, but it starts with writers, who turn ideas into words.
The task of the writer is VITAL – without writers, all publishing would quickly grind to a halt!
But our authors desperately need encouragement. Writing in an engaging way that will touch the hearts of readers, is both tricky, and time-consuming… and can be lonely.
Writers are often wracked with doubt about their ability, about their content, and their suitability for the task. Imposter syndrome is very real, and writer’s block common.
The writing process can be frustrating and exhausting. The final product may sell poorly, or the blog post be seen by only a handful of people.
It can be tough to get back up and keep writing, sometimes. There’s enemy opposition to our task.
But we mustn’t give up and bury our talent! We want to hear the commendation at the end, Well done, good and faithful servant!
Encouragement is vital, so we can persevere when times get tough.
And it’s wonderful, too, to have someone to share the joys with, when the piece is finally finished, when people send in grateful reviews, when the book sells well and the piece of writing achieves its purpose.
This is why, at MAI-Europe, we have set up an online Writers Friendship Group: to share our struggles… and our joys!
Would you like to join us, or know someone who might? We meet once a month, on Zoom.
We chat about all things writing, get accountability and encouragement to complete the task set before us and use our gift to the very best of our ability.
It’s a fun and meaningful 1 ½ hours each month. We chat about a topic, share struggles and joys, and pray for each other.
If you are a European Christian writer, please:
- Sign up to receive emails (at the bottom of the page).
- Add our email address to your safe-senders list
- Join the monthly meeting with the Zoom link you will receive.
We’d love you to join us, so we can be of mutual benefit to each other.
How the world needs writers who will share the good news, to bring life, light and hope into this dark world!
So sign up for more details now, and come if you can, whether you are just starting out on your writing journey, or have been writing for 50+ years.
And if you’re not a writer, would you pray for us?
May the blessing of God be on us all,
Janet
Janet Wilson
Trustee, MAI-Europe
P.S. Here are the dates for our monthly Zoom meetings (5pm London, 6pm Berlin, 8pm Moscow and Istanbul), and the themes:
Dates:
16th May. Marketing. Marketing is the part of writing that most authors dread, but it is essential – to get sales!
Previous themes:
August: First Impressions. The first paragraph of any work (book, blog, magazine article etc) is vital to entice and excite readers, so they keep reading. Please bring with you a first paragraph from any piece of writing, from any author or genre, to read out loud, to inspire others.
September: Conflicts to Creativity. What struggles do you have as a writer? What can prevent you from writing as much or as creatively as you would like to? Let’s share our difficulties and pray for each other.
October: Launches. Launching a book or product into the world takes time and thought. What tips can you pass on to others, from launches you have attended?
November: Your very first published piece of writing. We all had to start somewhere! Bring along tales from your very first words in print, to encourage those who are just starting out. 🙂
December: Thanksgiving. As we look back at the past year, who has helped you in your writing journey? Come and talk about the people who have inspired, encouraged, and helped you the most.
January: Year Passed and the Year Ahead. Plans and goals achieved in 2023, and plans and goals set in place for 2024. It’s good to set goals and have some motivation and accountability from people who understand the struggles and joys of being Christian writers.
February: Developing your Gift as a Writer. We talked about courses we have done, books we have read, organisations we belong to and anything else that has helped us to develop our gift.
March: Unfinished Works. So anything you started to write, but for whatever reason, never finished. Looking at the why, and looking for tips on how to avoid doing this in the future!
April: Habits. We shared what writing habits work for us, what we haven’t found helpful, and we recommended some useful tips to our fellow writers.