Tag: Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild

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a Cow in the Garage

There is a Cow in the Garage

There is a Cow in the Garage

When I first saw him, he was covered with dust…

My cow is a picture I drew when I was between eight and ten years old.

My parents met milking cows in rural Kansas. They grew up in Girard, in the southeast corner of the state near Pittsburg. Mom and Dad are both gone now, but I still remember taking a trip with them to visit a dairy.

When I got home, I drew a picture of a cow, colored it with crayons, and wrote a short description. My mom put it in a frame, and hung it on the wall where it remained for decades.

The text under my cow picture is written in cursive:

The Dairy Cow

We went to see a cow today. It was a Guernsey. These cows are brown and white. We saw a calf too. He was a Guernsey too. There are three different kinds of cows Guernsey, Holstein and Jersey. The cow is one of the most useful animals to man. The first cows in America were brought by Columbus from Spain on his second voyage in 1493.

Dennis Conrad

I hadn’t seen my cow for years.

Now that I write children’s books, my cow takes on greater significance.

On June 26, 2021, I spoke to members of the Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild via Zoom. My talk was called “Writing for the Children’s Market.” I showed the group my cow and read what I had written.

My cow makes me smile and makes me realize I have always been a writer.

Tell me what you think below and please join me every day as we pray for wisdom by taking part in the Wisdom Prayer Challenge.

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Giving Back

Giving Back

Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild Presentation
“Writing for the Children’s Market” – Giving Back

 

I have spent a career helping others learn to speak and write well. From personal experience, I like to say, “There is nothing more exciting for a teacher than to watch students’ preverbal light bulbs go on.” 

I remember being at writers’ conferences as speakers shared what they knew. I became a better writer as a result of listening to and learning from their lessons.

Have a story worth telling? Consider a children’s book. I will introduce the audience to the world of writing for children. Learn about appropriate language for different levels of children’s books. Open the poet’s treasure chest to discover found poetry and how to avoid rhyme crimes. Write more. Find out where to publish. Explore the resources available for continuing education.

Join me this Saturday! It is my turn to give back. 

My hope is the bulbs will light up this coming weekend. Join me and the members of the Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild as I speak to the group.

When: This Saturday, June 26, 2021

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Where: On Zoom

What: “Writing for the Children’s Market

 

To participate in this motivating discussion NON-MEMBERS please request a Zoom invitation. Please contact [email protected] 

 

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Wisdom Prayer

Answered Prayer Atop the Tree Stump

Answered Prayer Atop the Tree Stump

My wife and I were in our Barstow, California, home the end of May 2017.

The house was in escrow, and most of the household goods had been given away, donated, or readied for loading onto a U-Haul truck.

Late one afternoon, after a day of packing, I left my wife inside reading on the couch. I went into the backyard and climbed onto the stump of what was once a massive pine tree. That is when I began praying with my palms up. I looked out over the house we had owned over a decade. “Lord, this has been your house. Thank you for letting Diane and me use it for a time.”

My mind filled with fond memories. Leaving friends and neighbors was going to be bittersweet…

I asked the Lord for direction. “I am open to what you have for me. What do you want me to do with the rest of my life?”

I heard the Lord’s voice. “Write for me.”

We had a casual conversation, and I agreed to write for him.

By January 2018, I had started writing and began participating in different read-and-critique groups. A few months later, I joined the Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild. Later, I was invited to serve on the board of directors. I read books on the craft of writing, subscribed to Writer’s Digest, and joined Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. My poems and personal essays started to get published.

I see this website as the next phase in writing for the Lord. For example, every day I am challenging people to pray for Wisdom. Won’t you join me?

Please leave me your comments below.