Hello everybody :)

[iRoswell]

I'm really seeking a place to learn and grow in writing. I'm very new, haven't written much at all, but am excited in this new adventure I feel that God is leading me towards. I'm currently 36, married, have a grown son whose recently married, drive a school bus, and live in the heart of Texas.
I love God with all my heart and am thankful for every day He gives me.

As you can read, I'm a pretty simple guy. Thanks for having me

[JesusPuppy]

Howdy. Welcome aboard. Jump in anywhere that interest you, and be sure to check out the Challenge. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

[mikeedwards]

Welcome to FaithWriters,

This is a great place to grow as a writer among other believers. There are a lot of people who can help. Like JP mentioned get into the Challenge. Give it 90 days and see what happens to your writing.

http://www.faithwriters.com/writing-challenge-intro.php


God Bless, Mike Edwards

[iRoswell]

Thanks for the welcome. I will definitely check out the challenge!

[coachlindaberg]

Welcome,

I've only been here a couple of days but already see the sweet spirit of Christ in the engagement of writers with each other and in the articles written at this site. Glad you were able to join us.

[iRoswell]

Welcome,

I've only been here a couple of days but already see the sweet spirit of Christ in the engagement of writers with each other and in the articles written at this site. Glad you were able to join us.

I'm glad I joined. This is my first time putting myself out there in the writing world. I've joined here and at the Writers Digest forums. But I really think that I'll fit in better here.

Again, thanks everyone for such a warm welcome.

[mikeedwards]

I just noticed the quote at the bottom of your post.

Reality doesn't care if you believe in it.

That is the why the Bible says God is not a respector of persons. Jesus did not say I have the truth, He said I am the truth. God is truth. Truth does not respect contrary beliefs.

If you like logic, apologetics and the evidence, read my free book and let me know what you think.
http://www.god-evidence-truth.com

Also sign up on the main site http://www.faithwriters.com/finish-signup.php

This is just the forum for the site. All of the big stuff happens over there.

God Bless, Mike

[iRoswell]

Yeah, I've always enjoyed that quote.
I do enjoy apologetics, evangelism, and the sort. I will definitely check out your book, especially since it's free, , and tell you what I think.

I joined the main site and have a small question about the four credits on the silver membership. I'm not exactly sure what they are used for... Are the credits like tokens for entry? If you submit something, it takes a credit?
Thanks

[mikeedwards]

The credits are for entering the challenge. Free members can try the challenge anytime they like up to four times. You just enter and it automatically subtracts a credit. After that you would need to be at least a Gold member to continue to enter. That is $5.95 per month. You can also enter the blog contest where the best silver entry gets a free one year Gold membership in every contest. You can find the contests on the my account page left hand side. Current blog contest - Equipped to Defend.

You get a lot more for your 5.95 too.

Mike

[iRoswell]

Very nice! Thanks for the info.
Having the silver is a great way to try it out, but to give a chance to win a years subscription is very generous.

I started your book. So far it's really interesting. I like how you use the law of gravity as your baseline for objective truth. I also like how you reveal the contradiction present when saying absolute truth does not exist. The very statement comes from a perspective of their truth overriding your truth. If there is no truth, than their argument fails as it contradicts itself.

Thanks again

[mikeedwards]

Love logic and critical thinking. Most non-believers views are riddled with contradictory statements. When you point it out it really gives them pause. It is a good way to remove obstacles.

[Shann]

Hi welcome to FW! This is an awesome site. There are so many things to explore. It can feel a bit overwhelming at times but don't hesitate to ask for help if needed.

Here at FW I have made close friends with people all over the world. I hang out in the Pacific Coast Rest Stop a lot so I have friends in those states and another oddball who lives in Maryland. I have also become close to people from Africa, Australia, England, Latvia and Thailand. I live in a super rural area in Western NY and would never had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I can't imagine my life without FW!

There are all ages from teens to grandparents who having writing experiences from journaling to published books. There are also all kinds of genres. My favorite is Children's stories. But you'll find sci.if, fantasy, devotions, nonfiction,romance, Biblical fiction and everything in between.

The weekly challenge is the most popular way to showcase your work. I have learned so much from feedback from people who want me to be the best writer I can be. I have also learned to write on topic while still being different from all the other entries. The deadline has really helped me write on a regular basis. It sounds like you got some information about the challenge already so I hope you will take the plunge. If you can afford the few dollars for a gold membership it really is worth every penny.

Another place for members who would like to have their work critiqued can go to the Critique Circle. They now offer two options. If you're a Gold or Platinum member you are given one credit to post your piece and ask for feedback. Then you have to leave feedback for others to receive more credits. If you're a nonpaying Silver member, however, you can pay a small fee to have your story critiqued in detail. This option is also available to members who don't feel comfortable or have time to critique others.

Also you can post your older stories in the general submission or free reprint page. The challenge submissions need to be new stories that fit the topic.

Have fun exploring the site and jump into any threads that sound interesting. I hope to see you out and about and read some of your work.

[iRoswell]

Thank you Shann for the warm welcome and information. I'm very much enjoying looking around. I went ahead and took the plunge! I entered into the Equipped to Defend-Article/Blog contest.
I also went ahead and entered the challenge, Accent. So here goes

Again, thanks for the welcome everyone.
And Mikeedwards, I'm really enjoying the book!!!

[Shann]

I hope you do enter it. if you would like me to either find a challenge buddy or a critique group let me know (you can send me a PM with your info, you just need to click on my name above the avatar and it should take you to the page where you can PM me.

Also, I'd really encourage you to read some of the entries in the level you would be submitting at. Leaving feedback is a great way to figure out what you like or what you think doesn't work, and then you can apply that to your own writing.

One thing many newbies make the mistake of when they first enter is not hitting the preview button before submit. This will show you what your article will look like to the readers. I generally end up finding several things each time that needs to be polished up. Probably the most common thing people do is not allow enough white space. In such a limited word count, and the fact that it is being read online makes it important to have several smaller paragraphs and to double space between them so as to not overwhelm the reader.

I wish you the best of luck. I think everyone here can relate to that scary feeling of knowing that you are sharing your most intimate thoughts with complete strangers, but oh, it's so worth it in the end!

Unlike many writer sites, you'll find people here are much kinder in leaving feedback. Sometimes too kind because if everyone tells me my story is wonderful, I'll never know the mistakes I make or how to correct them. If you do enter, know that 99.6% of the people here are coming from a place of love and a genuine desire to help others become the best writers possible. It may sting the first time you read a constructive comment, but try not to get defensive, remember it's just one person's opinion and give it time to let that sting heal and then go back and decide if you agree or not.

Once someone told me I started every paragraph with a name or pronoun. I remember rolling my eyes and thinking the dude exaggerated. Turns out, that almost every SENTENCE started that way. That was my first lesson in sentence structure and that dude is one of the people here who has helped me become a much better writer than I was three years ago.

So jump into the deep end and enter! We have several certified lifeguards around here who will pull you to safety if need be, with Jesus being the best lifeguard of all!

[iRoswell]

Thanks for the encouragement. I am well aware that my writing will give people a lot of work, helping me fix it I am very new to this, as everyone has been at one time or another, so all the criticism I can get, the better. By looking around the forums though, I can see that everyone means well and is only helping each other become better.

The advice is golden! Thank you so much. I did end up entering, and I did not think of previewing . So, you have given me something to work on!!!!

I am glad I entered both contests though. This will give me a glimpse as to how everything runs and see what mistakes I make this time around.

As for the group, I want to give it a few rounds before I commit to anything. Once I go through my tokens, I'm planning on upgrading. Once I do that, you'll probably be hearing from me.

Thanks again for all your help!!!