In today’s show, Tara welcomes Kristen Demery, Kenra Roehl, and Julie Fisk of The Ruth Experience. The ladies discuss Christmas light shows, family traditions and just how these three awesome women found the name The Ruth Experience. They chat about early story inspiration (Little House, Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, and Mary McCracken), along with what it’s like to collaborate on writing projects. Also in this show… Raising kids to be kind, vulnerability, understanding grace, and words of the year. Links: www.theruthexperience.com www.TaraJohnsonStories.com The Read More
Writing
Episode 1: Writing, Inspiration in Mess, and Losing Control…A Chat with Janyre Tromp!
Writer, editor, mom, wife and friend Janyre Tromp sits down with me to talk about the messy stuff, and the fun stuff, in life. We talked about growing up in church and how Jesus doesn’t make things easy once you’re saved. From a hard home life to watching her daughter struggle to live, Janyre has walked through some dark valleys. We explore the idea of beauty in the mess and what it means to lose control. Also in this show, walking miracles, writer inspiration, God’s Read More
Amazon Customer Reviews on the Bible: Putting Criticism into Perspective
Receiving a long awaited publishing contract is a euphoric feeling. It’s also terrifying for someone like me, a recovering people-pleaser. I love absolutely everything about the creative process. From spinning a story world into existence, breathing characters to life or muddling through their spiritual and emotional transformations, I find the entire journey exhilarating. I even love the grueling grind of editing. (Most days, at least.) With my debut release scheduled for summer of 2018, life is a whirlwind of excitement. Edits and marketing plans, launch Read More
The Civil War, Messy People and Jesus: Why I Write
With my debut book release with Tyndale scheduled for summer of 2018, this week I’ve begun the daunting task of writing another story. It’s set in one of my favorite time periods…the Civil War. This isn’t a new assignment for me. This will actually be the fourth Civil War story I’ve penned, uh, typed, but the research involved is always staggering. Always bloody and gruesome, yet filled with heroism, astounding tales of beauty and forgiveness…even humor. People like 11 year-old Grace Bedell who wrote Read More
Pursuing Dreams
It’s an odd thing to see a long awaited dream fulfilled. You reach, you pray, you cry, you plan, you anguish and lament, you work and beg, and pray some more. Hoping, wondering. Sometimes, your focus can become muddled. That was the case for me a few years ago. My dream was to become a published author. An admirable goal, especially since I wanted to write stories that pointed people towards Jesus, right? The problem with dreams, with any dream, is they can become gods Read More
A Writer’s Prayer
Lord, thank You for the gift of language. Thank You for written words that connect and reveal Your heart to ours. Thank you for the gift of creativity. The way Your Spirit moves through the realm of the unseen muse is a precious gift. I lift up my words, my written thoughts, my stories on the altar to You, Lord. I do not idolize them, Father, or think they are without flaw, for like me they are messy and tainted by sin. Yet I offer Read More
Writing and Living From Your Scars
by Tara Johnson I was recently asked to give an aspiring writer my best piece of writing advice. I could have told her to study the craft, which is extremely important, or given her a list of blog and books to follow. Also important. Or I could have given her a checklist of a thousand other steps to pursue her dream, but after much thought, I gave her my best piece of advice: write from your scars. Let me explain. Not long ago, my two Read More
Books are Not My Babies…and Other “Idol” Chatter
Y’all, this writing gig is hard. I recently saw a pic that summed up the process perfectly. “You read a scene and think, ‘That was nice.’ Time it took you to read the scene? Five minutes. Time it took the author to write the scene? Five bazillion hours.” Okay, so maybe that’s an exaggeration but you get the idea. It’s hard work. More than I ever dreamed possible. And just when I think the sleepless nights, the outpouring of creativity, the frazzled nerves will pay Read More
Finding a Voice: When God Changes the Plan
I sprinted behind my son, attempting to wrap his dripping hair in a towel. Wrestling him out of the bath had worn me out. Wrestling him into pajamas was even more difficult. Now he had broken free and was running down the hall. He squealed in delight as I huffed, “Boy, when I get a hold of you…” We rounded the corner and I stopped short, blinking in surprise. My husband stood in the living room, a big grin on his face. His hands gripped Read More
Unquenchable: The 2016 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference
I don’t know where to begin. For starters, I’ve been to several writers conferences. All of them were inspiring and beneficial. All of them taught me something valuable and allowed me to meet other writers, but Mount Hermon is different. Never have I been at a conference that is so incredibly organized, yet feels so laid back and unscripted. The familial, intimate atmosphere permeated every single workshop, worship service and the times in between. The entire conference was Christ-centered and deeply moving. In short, I Read More