Thursday, April 3, 2014

Jayna Morrow: Kind Words for Authors


Jayna Morrow

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. - Proverbs 15:4

I recently watched a video on YouTube, a compilation of advice for authors by some of the most well-known authors of today. Write for yourself, write every day, write what you know, and be persistent. These ideas are nothing new, but to hear them from the best in the business makes it that much more powerful.

And therein lies the critical component—inspiration. Our brains know many things, but sometimes it takes an outside source to get the message to our hearts. We can learn a lot from those who've traveled the path before us. Action is only half of what it takes. Motivation makes up the other half. Writing is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Putting your bottom in the seat is the easy part, but wrapping your head around the task at hand is more difficult. That's why many authors post daily mantras to get the creative juices flowing. For Christian authors, scripture works well as the mantra of choice.

There is no denying the power of encouragement from others. It's a driving force that fuels all sorts of things from academics to athletics to art. Thoughtful words of kindness from professional authors in the business can give us the boost we need to make our daily word count. The book of Proverbs talks about this power to encourage in a positive way. "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life." (Proverbs 15:4)

Let's show Christ-like encouragement to our fellow authors, building each other up with joyful and positive words. Take a moment to call, text, write, or message some of your writer friends (or strangers) right now and encourage them today!


Jayna Morrow’s debut novel and a resource for writers have spent time on the Amazon Top 10 lists. Morrow brings to life heartwarming stories that embody realistic plots with an uplifting message, giving readers a sweet and warmly satisfying sense of love and hope.

Morrow is the author of the Sweet Home, Texas series, starting with her debut novel Garrett; numerous sweet contemporary and inspirational works; a short read with several other Prism Book Group authors, A Blizzard Wedding; a resource for writers, Layers Upon Layers, a book of devotionals for writers, Positive Thoughts for Writers, and several children’s books. She has been featured at eReader News Today, Daily Cheap Reads, Working Writers and Bloggers, Books for Book Lovers, The Old Stone Wall, Lilly’s Book Club, Book Goodies, Nearly Brilliant, Goodreads, and Christian eBooks Today. She is an active member of the East Texas Writers Association and is a regular guest speaker, presenting mini-workshops on plotting structure, drafting a novel in 30 days, and the layering process.

The Sweet Home, Texas series is now available at all online book retailers.  


In addition to writing novels, Morrow is an elementary school reading teacher. She and her husband, Chip, are patrons of the arts, especially fine arts and music. They also enjoy the outdoors and frequently go off-roading, canoeing, barge riding on Caddo Lake, and camping.

She is a devoted mother to two precious little girls, Rebekah and Ella, and spends a majority of her time creating memories with them. Jayna, Chip, and the girls live in East Texas, near the Lousiana border. You can find out all about the writer and her books at www.jaynamorrow.com.

4 comments:

  1. Good books, one and all. I love this Texas family and town.

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    1. Me too, Gay. And I love what Jayna had to say about supporting each other. So very true!

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  2. Jayna, nice to "meet" you here. One of my daughters once lived in Sweet Home, OR. Thanks for the encouragement.

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    1. I love the name, Sweet Home. Just so warm and welcoming! :)

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