I'm a Speaker too!

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and I'm feeling like spring may finally be on its way. Thank goodness! What a long, cold winter it's been. But in spite of the cold, I have been enjoying some speaking engagements which I thought I'd tell you about today.

Writers must also learn to be speakers. Speaking serves several purposes. There are often groups that ask a favorite writer to speak to their group and its also a way to build a platform. (A platform is the group of people who follow you as a writer, who enjoy reading your books, and who will continue to read new books you write.)

I am reminded of this aspect of the writing life because lately I have been asked to speak to a few groups and have loved every minute of it. In the past few weeks, I have spoken to a local writing group about an aspect of the writing craft, to a group of high schoolers about writing, and to a men's group about one of my books which they are studying.

… yes, you read that correctly. A men's group has been studying one of the books I wrote.

Last summer a man I know who teaches a Sunday School class at a large Methodist church in my city and also leads a men's small group at that same church read Prayer: It's Not About You and liked it well enough to want his groups to read and study it too. I am both humbled and honored by this!

His small group has been studying it since last fall and asked me to join them for a casual question / answer session. They wanted to meet the author and be able to ask me questions. What an enjoyable time I had! Now, this same man tells me his Sunday School class (a much larger group) will begin studying it in mid-April and later this summer when they are closer to the end of the book, he would like me to come speak to them. He may have several Sunday school classes join together to hear me, so in that session I will be both speaking and answering questions.

And I'm loving every minute of it! If you have a group in need of a speaker, I'd love to be contacted. I can speak on Biblical topics, especially prayer, and on writing topics too.