20 Reasons Why You Need a Mastermind Group 

Have you started working towards your passion project but are unsure of the next step? Joining a community of other writers and speakers through a mastermind group can give you the inspiration you need to move forward. Although it's tempting to work on your own or google your way out of feeling stuck, here are twenty reasons why you need to join a mastermind group—or what we at Called Creatives know fondly as Collectives.

1. Connection: You don't have to launch your career or ministry alone—no matter how unique it is. It doesn’t matter if you are starting a new podcast, publishing a book, or embarking on a speaking career. 

Connecting with others with the same goals and interests is a huge benefit to your passion project.

2. Inspiration: You may feel stuck at a specific part of your process. Maybe you are struggling with writer's block or need help figuring out the must-have equipment for a podcast. Your moment...

5 Keys to Publish Your Book

Have you ever wondered why traditional publishing takes so long? Or why your self-publishing date may need to be extended? In our fast-paced, instant gratification world, looking at a lengthy publishing timeline may seem daunting. 

Here are five needed keys to publish your book with success. 

1. WRITING: It's hard work.

You have an amazing topic or testimony that you are ready to share with the world. But as you pull out your computer, you realize that the words don’t just appear. Writing takes discipline, consistency and focus.

Here are some practical ways to help you engage:

• Do a writing sprint. Set your timer for fifteen minutes and get out as many words as you can. These may help you make a daily writing goal. 
• Feeling stuck? Stand up and stretch, go on a walk, or fold that laundry that keeps bugging you. Sometimes those simple actions will jog your brain cells.
• Read these articles: 
  • From Passion to Project in just 15...

How to Write a Book Proposal

Called Creatives Book Proposal Template

Are you looking for ways to make your proposal shine and stay at the top of an agent or publisher’s stack? Agents and editors receive hundreds if not thousands of these a month but are looking for the unique proposals they can’t say no to. One of the most asked questions in the Called Creatives Community is how to write a book proposal. We took the guesswork out of it and created a book proposal template just for you! But before you start typing everything out, read on to find out five specific things to consider as you prepare.

Readability:

• You may be tempted to make your proposal shine by adding an abundance of words and glittery graphics, but publishing professionals don’t necessarily need all that. They are concerned about the content so make sure your proposal is clean, clear and organized in a way that is easy to read.

Platform:

• The word platform seems to intimidate because of the...

When it comes to writing down content, there are many good options. . If you are only interested in journaling your thoughts, a pen and paper will suffice. . But it requires a different process to release messages for public consumption. We’ve come a long way from typewriter-created manuscripts.  We now have the ability to jot down words in any moment or margin that inspiration hits. It’s not just about the big word processors like Microsoft Word, pages or even Scrivener, anymore. 

The notes app on your phone, whether builtin or purchased, can be your best friend when it comes to keeping a consistent writing lifestyle. 

Here are ten ways your notes app can deliver big results. (These are tips based on Apple’s notes app, but a comparable one for Android is Google Keeps app.)

1. Random thoughts: This is basically the essence of sticky notes, planners—the composition notebook we carried to school. You have a record keeper at your fingertips, ...

What if the career in writing you’ve always wanted wasn’t something you could do by yourself? It’s a question you might not have considered. Yet none of us are meant to journey through life alone. This goes for basic human needs to our deepest core passions. The call that is stirring up inside of you is unique and beautiful. You will see it grow beyond your expectations when you cultivate it in community. 

Called Creatives (CC) is that kind of place. If you are looking for clarity on your next step, need training that google can’t give you, and want to connect with other like-minded and hearted women, Called Creatives is what you are looking for. Not only has Called Creatives helped launch writing careers, it provides the evergreen offering of these five core benefits: 

1. Clarity: Many answers can be found through a google search, but there is nothing like the laser-focused information you can gain from women who have been where you are...

At Called Creatives, we believe that God has gifted women in a multitude of ways in order to bring influence. There is no lid on what can be released through a woman whose heart is set on stewarding her influence well. One of the ways that women walk out their call is in the area of speaking. This may range from leading small groups (even in the home) to sharing a message on a stage in front of thousands. 

If the goal is for your message to reach others beyond your home, finding your place at the mic may seem daunting. But it might not be as far off as you think. Here are seven ideas to help you broaden your reach and increase your invitations to speak. 

1. Be faithful: What has God put in your hands right now? Consistency and intention in the season you are in will plant seeds for the areas he is calling you to later. There are no shortcuts when it comes to this holy process. You never know what doors God will open for you when you are faithful to the right now. 
2. Hone...

This is part two of our Write your book in 30 Days blog post. 

• Day 1:
• Organize your outline on your app or program of choice. If a great way for you to write is in the MARGINS, create a new folder in your notes app that’s accessible across your devices. Then make 12 -15 notes with the chapter ideas as titles that flow with your outline. Or you can make as many notes as you want that cover specific topics or scenes. 
• If you are writing non-fiction, you may already have a ton of content from your own blog posts (not submitted to anyone else) to scribbles in your journal. If you are a speaker or podcaster, you may have a lot of messages and programs that fit what you want to write. This is where you can fill in your outline with content you already have to give you more areas to expand on. It’s also always encouraging to see what God has been writing on your heart all along. 
• The process of filling in your outline with descriptions and/or scene ideas should...

Yes, it’s possible. In 30 days you can complete the first draft of your book – or at the very least, an incredibly robust outline. The key here is that you need to be ready to dig in at the start of your 30 days. That will take some prayer and prep work on the front end, before you start. Once you have that part of the process flowing, the countdown can begin. Are you ready? You can do this!

Prayer & Prep: 

• What has God put on your heart?
• Why are you writing, and who is the target audience?
• Take time to study and meditate on these 12 VERSES if you need some focused inspiration (maybe turn into a lead magnet by making it into a printable journal)
• What type of book? (this will determine the average word count) 
• Non-fiction vs Fiction Premise
• For non-fiction, what need are you trying to meet or what question are you answering? 
• For fiction, what is the hook? Use the following fill-in-the-blank sentence as a template to give you an idea of how you...

As writers and communicators, there are days our messages flow from our pens with absolute ease. You know the moments when everything on your schedule lines up and inspiration is a train you ride with clarity and passion. 

But more often than not, we have to kick into disciplined rhythms to release those words that seem to be fleeting into the space where lost socks, hair ties and the backs of earrings go. Our thoughts appear as wisps of ideas that are hard to pull down.

Sometimes we just need more than a practiced routine: we need to refocus at the core. Discouraging lies could be bombarding you into silence. Or maybe imposter syndrome attempts to sneak up and sink your ship before you can get sailing. At Called Creatives, we believe that what we release through our creative work are not just random hobbies. We are called to steward these creative gifts well and there is no better place to receive encouragement than from the Creator, himself. His words of truth will dismantle...

We get it. You have a burning passion to get those words out. You want to write that non-fiction book that will change someone’s life or share that novel that will keep readers turning the pages past bedtime. But how do you get a book out when you can’t even control the pile of laundry that seems to multiply like the feeding of the five thousand? 

Although it seems like it’s impossible to do it all and write the words in your heart, there are ways to make your burning dream a reality. It’s about taking advantage of the margins and pockets in your day to write down words. You don’t have to block out multiple unbroken hours in a day to write. It doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process that needs the right conditions to succeed. The key is believing in your dream enough to intentionally invest in the process instead of losing time with things like mindless scrolling on the internet. (I know, ouch!) 

Here are five helpful tips that...