I’ve seen talented writers who almost gave up on their craft because they went through a critique session gone wrong—with brutal back-biting and criticism instead of constructive feedback.

To make sure your group stays on track, feel free to adopt these guidelines, which four other writers and I put together years ago. They kept us meeting and happily critiquing for several years. Hopefully they’ll do the same for you

If you’re the author:

If you’re providing feedback:

Of course, you can add or amend these guidelines to fit your group, but be sure to get everyone’s agreement on them from the beginning. That way, if workshopping takes a negative turn, you can review the guidelines as a group and re-commit to supporting one another through honest and constructive critiques.

Happy writing!

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The idea is to look at the same thing but describe it through the eyes of people who have different backgrounds and points of view. This gives you great practice in getting inside the mind of your characters, knowing that each character will experience life differently based on past experience.

It also helps you get into the mindset of your readers and use language that will resonate with them.

Here’s how it works:

Choose a scene, view or landscape—it can be wherever you are. In the case of my writing group, I chose our front yard, since everyone could see it through our living room window. But you could choose a room in your house or apartment, an intersection in your neighborhood—any place you happen to be.

Now come up with three or four different characters, and write a two-or-three-paragraph description through the eyes of each one. Here’s what I used for my writing group:

Describe the view of our front yard out the picture window as though�

…you’re a naturalist observing a picturesque scene. Imagine you’re writing a report for other naturalists about what you see.

…you’re a visitor from Europe, and you’re seeing the Iowa landscape for the first time.

…you’ve just moved into this house, and you’re writing a journal entry about your new property.

…you’re a Hollywood celebrity, and this is your first visit to Iowa.

The women in the writing group did a terrific job of climbing into their character’s skin. The Hollywood celebrity, for instance, noticed the uneven ground in the front yard and lamented how tricky it would be to navigate in heels, while the naturalist noticed a nest high in a tree and wondered what species of squirrel resided there.

Now it’s your turn. Choose your scene, define your character, and see how the view—and your writing—changes depending on whose eyes you’re looking through.

Happy writing!

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The new rules were implemented, and an opinion survey was conducted.

The system was disabled before the improvements were made.

Passive voice creates distance from the reader in both time and space. It immediately raises the questions: Who did it? Who is responsible?

Passive voice also typically relies on weak verbs. This slows down and muddies the writing because strong verbs provide the engine of action within a sentence.

In addition, passive voice gets in the way of specific details that make writing come alive.

That’s why it’s important to avoid passive voice in your writing. The more you become aware of it, the more easily you can correct it.

For instance, you might review your writing and find a passive sentence like this:

The guests were greeted warmly with hugs and words of welcome.

Immediately, your passive-voice radar alert would go off, and you’d rework the sentence to something stronger and more visual, like this:

Jane hugged her guests as they stepped in from the cold. “Welcome,� she said. “I’m so glad you could come.�

Now we know who was greeting her guests, and the specific words and actions create a scene that we can see, hear and feel. That’s the power of active voice.

For practice, convert these sentences from passive to active:

Make it a practice to thoroughly search your writing for passive-voice sentences and convert them to active voice. You’ll be surprised how much this single step will strengthen and enliven your writing.

Happy writing!

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I love this topic because so many important and priceless changes have come about for me since midlife. This can be a deeply satisfying time of life, as long as you live according to your inner guidance, not the limiting messages of the world.

That’s why I want to share something I did that helped me immensely, and I think it will help you too. I did this years ago as a visualization, but you can do it as a writing exercise. The important thing is to create some quiet time and space where you won’t be interrupted.

Once you’re in that quiet space, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Now, on a piece of paper, list as many myths as you can—messages that limit who you are at midlife and what’s possible for you. For instance�

You get the idea. We absorb these messages from the world around us, but none of them has to be true for you. In fact, the photo here is from my wedding reception—when I was 44 years old. I got a master’s degree when I was 46, and all of my books have been published since I was in my mid forties, too.

I’m not saying this because I think I’m exceptional. I’m saying it because I’m just like you. We all have gifts and graces to share, adventures to explore, new goals to achieve.

So after you’ve listed as many myths as you can, cross out each one and replace it with a statement of what’s true for you. Let yourself daydream. What do you want to create in this generative stage of life?

Remember: There are no limits. No rules. And, by the way, no guilt about the past or worry about the future. Just pure intention and desire that comes from what you truly want, and who you truly are.

Write it down. Write it all down. This is your roadmap. Your blueprint. Your life. Love it, take good care of it, and most of all, enjoy every moment.

Midlife is not the end. It’s just the beginning. As a friend of mine says, “The best is yet to come.�

Blessings,

Deb

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Each year they offer a lecture series and special events around a particular theme, and this year’s theme is Miracles.

As part of the series, we’re presenting a free half-day conference about A Course in Miracles at Drake December 2, and I really encourage you to attend. It’s free and open to the public, and it’ll give you several key teachings from the Course that you can put to use in your own life.

Here’s the info from The Comparison Project website, which gives all the details. It’ll be a great way to bring some Miracles into your holiday season, with opportunities to learn about creating peace and harmony in every part of your life. Hope to see you there!

Debra Landwehr Engle

Author of The Only Little Prayer You Need

With Randy Adams, Annabelle Nesbit and Dr. JoAnn Tully

Saturday, December 2, 9 a.m. to noon (registration at 8:30)

Meredith Hall, Drake University

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) includes a text, workbook and manual that have been described as “spiritual psychotherapy.� Designed as a self-study course, the Course was first published in 1975, has been translated into more than two dozen languages and is studied worldwide.

While the Course uses Christian language, it is metaphysical and ecumenical in nature. It teaches that we have two minds: one based in fear and the other based in love. By consciously choosing love, we undo guilt and heal our relationships with ourselves and others.

This half-day conference will explore key teachings of the Course, including healing the mind and body, dealing with anger and attack, choosing love over fear and gaining a new perspective on life events by making small changes in your thinking.

The event will include an introduction to the Course, breakout sessions and a plenary Q&A with the conference leaders and ACIM students.

Debra Landwehr Engle has studied A Course in Miracles for more than 30 years. She is the author of The Only Little Prayer You Need, which is based on Course principles and has been translated into four languages. Deb leads A Course in Miracles classes, workshops and study groups in person and online, and she offers one-on-one mentoring based on ACIM.

Randy Adams has studied A Course in Miracles since 1995. He owns his own accounting and tax preparation business and teaches classes to other tax preparers. Randy believes that sharing kindness and joy is a simple and effective way to extend the ACIM message.

Annabelle Nesbit is an ordained interfaith minister and student/teacher of A Course in Miracles. Twenty-five years ago, she began a committed meditation practice, which inspired a life of learning about and practicing spiritual philosophies. She shares the gifts of the Course through a weekly ACIM group.

Dr. JoAnn Tully, D.C., uses principles from A Course in Miracles to help her clients release negative thoughts, emotions and beliefs that are sabotaging their energy, health and life. She works with clients who have been struggling with chronic illness, unexplained or unresolved health issues, or who are dealing with everyday fatigue and overwhelm.

Yesterday I spoke with a woman in Hawaii. She called because she’s reading The Only Little Prayer You Need, and she wanted to let me know how much she’s enjoying it.

That meant the world to me—not only because she took the time to call, but because it tells me that Spirit keeps spreading the book’s message wherever it’s supposed to go.

It’s like witnessing another light turning on. And that’s so important in a world that needs all the light it can get right now.

That’s what writing a book does. It reflects the light in you so you can share it with people you’ll never even meet.

And that’s why I developedĚý to help you write a book that matters—one that can make a difference in the world.

I love these courses for a lot of reasons, and I think you will, too:

If you’ve felt a call to write a book, this is your opportunity to take it from start to finish, with help every step of the way.

We need your voice, your message, and your light.

for all the details.

Blessings,

Deb

P.S. One of the courses is for starting your book, the other is for finishing it. Sign up for together and get a 25% discount�.plus six bonuses, too!

So here’s that nudge:)

Photos courtesy of Ferry Beach Retreat Center.

Come to Maine with me August 26-29 for a retreat that will get you away from the 24-hour news cycle and your never-ending To Do list and give you the break you deserve.

It’s called Only Love, which pretty much describes what you’ll experience.

In leading the retreat, I promise to create a safe and gentle environment for you. And at the same time, I’ll share some of the most life-changing principles from A Course in Miracles and The Only Little Prayer You Need so you can come home with practical tools you can use every day.

Plus, if you need some one-on-one time to talk through an issue in your life and gain a new perspective, I’ll meet you in the gardens or over a meal. That’s the kind of individual mentoring I can’t always provide at a retreat. But I’ll be there for one reason. And that reason is you.

That’s why you’ll probably experience lots of ah-ha moments.

They might happen when I’m leading you through a visualization � or we’re talking about your unique gifts � or you’re taking a walk along the beach � or you’re doing some journaling on the porch at the retreat center (think quintessential New England charm).

It’s the kind of retreat that, when you head home, you think, “Wow! I wasn’t gone that long. How did my life get so much better?�

It got better, of course, because you shifted. Remembered who you are. Opened your heart. Found new ways to have loving relationships. Let go of the stress and old wounds.

And experienced only love.

If you’re feeling ready for a deep rest, a greater connection with Spirit and something different in your life, this is the opening you’ve been waiting for.

If you have any questions about it, please . I’d love to talk through it with you.

Or you can go to the site to register. There are lots of options for accommodations, which makes it really affordable.

Just picture it: Late summer on the beach in Maine, feeling the love.

I can see you there. Hope you can, too.

Blessings,

Debra Engle

P.S. How much is peace of mind worth to you? It’s priceless, of course, and you’ll find it in Maine.

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I’m finally joining the world of podcasting! Thanks to Sacred Stories Media, this week is the launch of a 12-part podcast series on Let Your Spirit Guides Speak.

The podcasts will go into depth about some of the points in , so they’re a great way to learn more and share with others who might be interested.

. Enjoy!

One of the things her therapist told her created a miracle in her mind—a change in perception and a natural occurrence of love.

The therapist’s words were:

“You are a precious jewel. Treat yourself that way, and teach others to treat you that way, too.�

A precious jewel. This was stunning to both of us, since we’d both been divorced and were questioning how lovable we really were. The word “precious� would never have entered our minds. But now, here we were, presented with the radical idea that we had value and were worthy of being treasured.

When I think back, I realize how easy it is to forget that truth, especially if we’re used to questioning our own worth.

But it IS truth for all of us. No matter what we think of ourselves or what we’ve been through, we are all precious jewels. Children of God. Sparks of the Divine. Worthy of giving and receiving love without question.

Our entire lives depend on remembering this one simple truth. Remembering means living with joy, confidence, generosity and forgiveness.

Forgetting means living with anxiety, fear, scarcity and guilt.

So how can we remember?