A Low-Tech Grandma in a High-Tech World

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Okay. I admit it. I’m no techie, especially when it comes to anything social media related, but I think y’all knew that. I’ve taken social media lessons for a while now from the best teacher I know, Edie Melson. Edie is the co-director of a handful of conferences for writers. You know most of my writing story, so you already know I had no idea I needed a writing conference . . . or twenty.

Some social media things have been more difficult than others. I usually do okay if I have things written down step by step. I refer to them when I need to do something I haven’t done in a while, or even if it’s things I do regularly but which have lots of steps. One of the functions I perform weekly has twenty-five separate steps. Now you see why I need to have them written down.

Lost

When learning something new, I perform the task while I’m on the video lessons with Edie. But when I’m left on my own, I can’t remember what comes next—unless I write it down. I have to remember to write it down. This morning, we went through a task that was difficult for me. We’d been over this before, long ago and again a month or so ago, but I couldn’t remember the steps. I invariably left out some. Thus, things I should have been doing went undone. Sigh.

So, we went over this again this morning and I performed the task without any questions or prompts from Edie and I did okay with it. I’m happy to say that once we signed off our meeting, I went back to this task and tried it on my own. I faltered in a couple of places, but I quickly realized where I had made mistakes and I corrected myself. One time . . . okay it was twice . . . I had to undo the whole thing and begin again. It was at that point that I wrote down every single step. I’m happy to report that this one has far fewer than twenty-five.

This is just another aspect of writing that most people don’t even think about. You see all the Twitter posts and Facebook posts, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and anything else out there that people do regularly these days, and you don’t even stop to think about how that was done. In my case, I was clueless. I’ve learned how to navigate those swirling waters with many lessons, repeats of those lessons, and a few emergency emails to Edie to say I’m stumped. I had no idea one had to learn so many new things to be a writer in today’s world.

To say that I’ve been blessed by the people God has placed in my path would be one of the biggest understatements in my life. And I’ve lived a long time.

Equipped for the Journey

There have been many times when I wanted to quit because learning so many new things has been a huge curve for me. Friends always come through with words of encouragement, reminding me that I’m not on this journey alone. This is a journey God has placed before me and I know He will walk with me and help me see it through to the end. See what I did there?

When life throws something your way you don’t think you can handle, remember the One who is always there with you. And look to those people He has placed in your path to lend a helping hand or a good word of encouragement when you need it the most.

Edie is one of many people I’ve met along this journey since I first walked into the doors of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference back in 2014. Since that time, I’ve met countless conference directors, teachers, mentors, fellow writers, encouragers—the list is endless. I owe every one of them a huge debt of thanks.

A Work-in-Progress

I don’t have all the little details mastered, especially of all things social media related. Like my writing, I’m still a work in progress. I’m thankful for those with me on this journey. And that includes you. Thank you for being here and reading my blog posts. It means more to me than I can say.

Do you have trouble with techie or social media things? Share your experiences with us.

TWEETABLE

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Holidays are Coming, Will You be Stressed or at Peace?

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

The holidays are coming. Here it is October and it will fly by just as the summer whose temperatures hung on tenaciously. But Fall seems to have finally arrived. With it will come all things pumpkin, changing of the leaves, crisp air, and . . . stress.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. While we always look forward to those joyful events, they bring along unwanted baggage. We scurry around trying to prepare everyone’s favorite foods. We clean, even though we will have to do it again once everyone returns to their own homes. And, if you are like many families, you wonder if, and pray that, everyone will be on their best behavior.

Holidays are just stressful. Thanksgiving is bad enough, but then comes Christmas—

that season which proclaims joy, peace, and goodwill. But sometimes, Christmas is anything but. Insert heavy sigh here. I know you know what I mean. We’ve all been there one year or another. But there is hope and help.

The Birth of a Book

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Something a little bit different this week. I thought I’d catch you all up on what’s going on with my soon-to-be-published book, Grave Consequences, A Charlotte Graves Southern Mystery.

I appreciate your patience as we await the birth of GC as I affectionately call it. Believe me, I realize it seems like forever ago that I began talking about this book. Well, the publishing process is long, y’all. Longer than most of us realize, I think. Any of you authors out there want to chime in, please feel free to throw in your two cents. Or a dime’s worth, if you have that much to say.

Be a Friend --Find Community

For the past two weeks, I’ve written about Soulful Ink, a Facebook group, open to anyone who feels they need rest from all that comes at us in this old world. I love that group.

I’m not going to talk about that group per se, today, but I want to encourage you to find a group like this in your community. You don’t have to be particularly talented. You don’t even have to do the artsy, creative things. Just be there for one another. Pray for one another. Support one another in the day to day things of life. (1Thessalonians 5:11)

I think most of us would agree that we have decent, if not blessed, day to day lives. But everyone has had or will have those days when we just want to walk away from everything, throw up our hands and shout, Uncle. Those are the days on which we really need to support one another.

Most, if not all, of us know the twenty-third Psalm. This just reminded me of the line Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.

Turning Worry Junkies into Journal Junkies

I’m touched that so many of you stopped by to read my blog about Edie Melson’s Soul Care. I hope that you went over to our Facebook group, Soulful Ink, and joined in on the fun and worship. If you haven’t done that yet, it still isn’t too late. Edie’s videos are available right on the site, along with all of the fabulous print-outs she’s made available to us.

Last night, Edie talked about worry. I don’t know about y’all, but I am an award-winning worrier. Yes, I know, it isn’t exactly what I should be doing, but, hey, I’m human just like you. Plus—I’m a bit of a control freak.

I cannot believe that I just admitted that . . . but it’s true. I know what I would do in most situations (until it comes to my own life), but our four sons seem to have minds of their own, and they don’t always listen, or even want to listen, to Mama any more. Insert heavy sigh here.

Soul Care- Spending Creative Time with Our Creator

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve participated in an online group, not a Bible study group, per se, but one that is doing a study called Soul Care. It’s based on the book by the same name written by Edie Melson, co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Conference, and a soon to be Soul Care conference. 

This isn’t your ordinary Bible study. This is Edie’s way of taking us out of our busy days to not only spend time with God in prayer and rest, but using our creative selves to worship Him through “creative expression”. The back of the book blurb reads in part, “She has learned that sensory involvement deepens our relationship with the Father and gives rest to our weary souls. She will teach you to tap into your creativity.”

I’m so glad that I joined the online group. I missed last week due to being at a writing conference, so this week, I’ve been playing catch-up. The activities Edie has created that go along with the prayers and devotionals in Soul Care are not only fun, but are thought-provoking. I have found myself diving deep into the Word and spending time with my Father in a way I’ve never experienced. It’s life-altering and we’re only into week three.

It's National What Day?

By Debra DuPree @DDuPreeWilliamsWilliams

Here it is, January 3^rd and I’m already behind for the year. Seriously. I was sitting here working on my WIP (work in progress) and it suddenly hit me that today is Wednesday and I have a blog due tomorrow. Yikes! What on earth am I going to write about?

Then it occurred to me that I could write about already being behind. After vowing that I’d stay on top of things this year and not let busyness keep me from the things I need to do, here I am. Already running behind. But that’s a pretty boring topic. It would only depress me and probably you, too.

Lucky for me, I’m a follower of Edie Melson’s blog, The Write Conversation, and as such, I got her list of blog ideas for the first half of 2018. I just pulled that out and printed it.

Fall-The Glory of God's Creation

by Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Almost everyone I know says fall is their favorite season. It happens to be my favorite, too. I love watching the leaves change from their summer green into the yellows, oranges, reds, and even browns of fall. It’s their way of bidding us goodbye for a season, with a promise to return in the spring.

All the leaf-hoppers in those parts of this great country of ours must agree with us. In the Asheville area, where I live for a portion of the year, the hotels and parkways, scenic-vista-pullovers and area restaurants, are filled with those coming to view God in all of His glory. When we were recently up that way, we took two lovely drives to view the leaves. I guess that makes my hubby and me a part of the very group about which I just spoke.

Have You Considered Attending a Writers Conference?

By Debra DuPree Williams @ddupreewilliams

I never thought I’d attend a writers conference—especially at my age. These are some of the doubts that plagued me:

• What could I possibly have to say that anyone would want to read?
• Am I even a writer? 
• What if I go and embarrass myself?
• What am I supposed to wear?
• What should I bring?
• What am I even doing here?

If you’re feeling doubts about your own calling, you’re not alone. When I first attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2014, I knew nothing and no one. I sat in the back row. Even worship was different for me as I come from a tradition of hymns and a rather high-church service. I felt like a fish out of water, or a Presbyterian in a pool of Baptists. Now I  raise my hands with everyone else, and it feels like I should have been doing this all of my life.