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Is your writing a result of perseverance? Sarah Schwerin shares her story behind The Willow Still Sings and tips to equip your writing. 

Welcome to Your Best Writing Life, an extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference held in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. I’m your host, Linda Goldfarb. Each week, I bring tips and strategies from writing and publishing industry experts to help you excel in your craft. It’s great to have you listening in. During this episode, we continue the new addition to Your Best Writing Life, The Story Behind the Stories series.

Today's guest, Sarah Schwerin, a former homeschool mom, is an author, a speaker with Stonecroft Ministries, and a mentor with Word Weavers International. Her writing has appeared in publications including Mature Living, Bible Advocate, and The Upper Room. Her 1950s historical novel, The Willow Still Sings, is available now on Amazon.

Tell us the story behind The Willow Still Sings

·      The Willow Still Sings is loosely based on my mother’s journey with polio. Her faith and compassion in the face of hardship helped me become who I am today. The end of my book includes my mom’s story in her own words. I’m awed that her story can encourage and inspire others just as it did me. 

·      In The Willow Still Sings, Florence struggles with misplaced guilt from her childhood, which shapes many of her reactions in the novel. My journey mirrors Florence's in that I have struggled with shame but have embraced the hope and healing only God provides. 

·      After homeschooling my two sons, I began to pursue writing and speaking full-time. At my first conference, I felt overwhelmed by my lack of knowledge and the eventual rejection. At my second conference, God taught me an important lesson when I lost a contest and had to accept an award for a friend. Be happy for your writing friends and enjoy the journey. Every writer’s journey is unique. Your day will come. It won’t look like someone else’s. But your writing will do just what God wants it to do. 

·      Writing The Willow Still Sings helped me realize the truth that there is nothing new under the sun. Polio outbreaks were similar to life during the COVID pandemic. People had to quarantine, and there was widespread fear and confusion. We can learn a lot from our past. 

Three tips for writers.

·      Research helps a story come alive for readers. Research can be conducted in a variety of ways, including my favorites: interviewing others and taking field trips. 

·      Events in our lives and the lives of family members can encourage others and provide a way for our loved ones’ legacies to live on. 

·      Events in our lives and the lives of family members can provide “story seeds” for our current and future projects. 

 What will the listeners gain from your book? 

·      Listeners will learn the importance of perseverance. Like Florence, we must continue to choose to love and to remain in God’s calling, even when life is difficult. 

·      Listeners will learn to use stories from their lives as a seed to begin or enhance their own stories. 

·      Listeners will learn about the importance of research in their writing projects. 

Free download – Giveaway | Sarah Schwerin

LINKS

·      Website: sarahschwerin.com

·      Amazon book link: https://a.co/d/065Jtq26 

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchwerinAuthor/

·      Instagram: Instagram

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