For all of the many poets in the AWC, the Alabama State Poetry Society’s Fall 2022 Workshop will be on October 14th and 15th in Columbiana, Alabama, at the 4-H Center. There are many activities planned for the weekend, including workshops with Dr. Jacqueline Trimble and our new Poet Laureate, Ashley M. Jones. The event is free for members, and lunch will be provided.

To register, please click here. And if you aren’t a member yet (but are interested in becoming one), here is more information.

It sounds like it’ll be a great weekend!

Randy Crew is the author of the new cozy murder mysteries series, The Four Seasons. It was a pleasure to be able to talk to him about, among other things, his inspiration, his writing life, and his relationship with his characters.

Bradley Sides: First of all, Randy, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us over at the AWC. Before we discuss your The Four Seasons series, do you mind sharing your story of how you became a writer?  

Randy Crew:  Glad to, Bradley. Writing and history were the subjects I consistently did well in during my school years, and throughout my life, I usually kept diaries. In my experience teaching creative writing at a junior college in my later years and participating in many different writer groups over those later years, people who keep diaries are natural writers. Then at Auburn, besides the required physical education courses, I only got an A in a class called “Business and Professional Writing.”  Even that class was a challenge because, to this day, I am a terrible speller. So, it wasn’t until I was in my 50s and spell check was invented that I felt it was time to scratch that writing itch. And the itch was to write my first novel, A Killing Shadow. It was only during the four years it took me to write A Killing Shadow, and I was in my 50s then, that I felt like I had become a writer.

BS: You are the author of two previous military action-adventure novels. Your new series shifts into a different territory. What inspired you to turn your focus to this series?

RC:   With both A Killing Shadow and One-way Mission, I wanted to leave a written document behind that would belie the myths and untruths told by Hollywood and the media about those of us who were in Vietnam. In those two novels. I told the truth as I knew it—the good, bad, and the ugly—but I did it in a way that would be an engaging, fast-moving action-adventure story with a mystery line, a lot of humor, and drama. Once I got that out of my system, years went by, a granddaughter was born, the itch returned, and I decided it was the time to have fun and write something light and playful—such as cozy murder mysteries—something my son could enjoy now and, in time, my granddaughter could enjoy. She’s already an advanced reader like her daddy was, so it won’t be long.

BS: For you, how does your writing process differ from writing a standalone novel to shaping a series?

RC: Everything I’d read about being a creative writer of novels said a series was more attractive to agents and publishers than a standalone, so those first two novels were intended to be a series. A Killing Shadow is actually two books in one, and One-way Mission is the sequel, the third book in the series. So, I’ve always written with a series in mind.

BS: I’ve mentioned your new series, The Four Seasons. Do you mind sharing with our readers what it’s about—and what they can expect to uncover as they begin it?

RC:   Oh, sure, glad to. They are cozy murder mysteries, each one set in a different season of the year, from Halloween 1955 to the summer of 1956. Starting with book 1, the Trick-or-Treat Corpse, retired homicide detective Nathan B. Hawke, from Dallas, Texas, tells the story of his junior high school adventures with the occasional corpse. The reader will discover life in the small town of Southern Pines, North Carolina, a golfing Mecca today, along with Pinehurst, but a sleepy little town in 1955. They’ll also discover a much more civil and respectful time in our country’s history when good manners were important, and children respected their parents and elders. This was also a time when children were allowed to wander, have outdoor adventures without wearing helmets and kneepads, and exercise their imaginations. They could even make mistakes, fall down, get hurt, get back up and press on. I have a counseling background, so I also couldn’t avoid slipping in some life advice, usually administered by Nate’s grandfather, the WWI vet with the mustard-gas-damaged lungs. His advice is usually related to Nate’s relationship with his older sister, the teenager who thinks she’s ready for love, or the village bully who is on Nate’s path to school every morning.

BS: Let’s talk about “Nate,” your protagonist. What inspired him?

RC:   As “Nate” explains in the prologue, he had an unfortunate reputation in his junior high days that inhibited his crime-scene credibility, so when he and his dog Superman stumble into their first corpse in “Boris” Barrow’s woods—that’s the elderly recluse in the spooky Victorian mansion who looks like Boris Karloff—nobody believes him. Nate decides to clear his name and prove to the local police and others that he has matured since his days as a liar and prankster, so he sets out with a couple of school friends and his spunky mom to find the murderer. And keeping his promise to his mom, a Korean war widow, to never lie to her again is a constant challenge for him. But it doesn’t keep him from lying to others. For Nate, the truth is so boring when a clever lie here and there can get you out of a lot of trouble.

Also, Nate isn’t the only protagonist. These four books are called the Four Seasons series, but each is also referred to as “A Nate and Superman cozy murder mystery.”  Superman, Nate’s mutt with the bloodhound nose, is a key player. He’s the key player, according to him. He’s a detective dog with attitude.

BS: Is it emotionally different for you to be with a character for so long? With a story of a standalone novel, we get to know characters and then let them go. With your current work, though, you’ll be with Nate for multiple books. I imagine there’s a deep connection there, right?

RC:   Oh, yeah. I went to junior high school in Southern Pines, North Carolina. I lived and roamed the woods and town where Nate lives, so while I am not telling my story—I never found a corpse—I am showing life as a junior high school student in 1955 and 1956. Those were good years for me; lots of good memories of neighbors, community, baseball, boy scouts, and camping. And I had a troublesome sibling like Nate. I also remember a bully, a difficult paper route customer, and a few other unsavory characters, so while writing these books, at every page of the manuscript, I ask myself, Yeah, that’s what you remember, Randy, but what if…

BS: For many writers, place functions like a character. In establishing your setting, did you view it with this kind of depth?

RC:   I’d like to think so. Southern Pines was a unique place. There was the rich, country-club set, mostly people from the north who had a second home there so they could play golf. They generally lived on “the hill,” and then there were the textile mill workers who lived around the town. In the rural areas, you had the salt-of-the-earth farmers, but you also had the bootleggers and car-strippers. I had children from all walks of life in my class; several of them are key players in my books.

In these stories, Nate is in a single-parent family because his father was killed in Korea in 1952. Fortunately, my father returned from two tours of duty in Korea, so again Nate is not me, but a friend of mine in my Southern Pines class lost his father in Korea, so with Nate being in a single-parent family, in a way, I’m telling my friend’s story. Plus, with my father gone a lot, my mother was the head of our family several times in my life, so I’m familiar with the single-parent environment.

BS: Are you working on other writing projects as you finish your series? Or is your focus solely on Nate and the crew for the foreseeable future?

RC:   I’m locked in on Nate’s story right now. I’ve finished books one and two, The Trick-or-Treat Corpse and the Christmas Tree Corpse, and I’ve started book three, the Centerfield Corpse, but after book four, the Campfire Corpse, I have considered a new series that will be set in Hawaii.

After we lived in Southern Pines for two years, we moved to Oahu, Hawaii. One of my junior high friends there was John Chestly. We called him John “Moochly” because he was always mooching food off the rest of us on camping trips. One day, while we swam in a beautiful Hawaiian stream that ran through some grazing land, Moochly bumped into a dead horse. That was the kind of stuff that happened to him, so I’ve been wondering…what if Moochly had bumped into a dead man or woman?

BS: Before I let you go, what advice do you have for writers out there who might just be getting started on their own paths to publication?

RC:   Join a local writer’s group. Stay active in AWC, go to conferences, and study creative writing. Oh, and use active verbs in your writing. When I first decided to write my first novel—and my reasons for doing so go a lot deeper than what we’ve had time to cover here—the first thing I did was take a class in creative writing at the local junior college. After that first class, I knew I belonged in the writing community. Next, I went to the local library and checked out every book they had on creative writing. I was on fire; I’d found my calling, so to speak.

BS: Thank you again, Randy, for your time, and congratulations on your The Four Seasons series!

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Randolph Crew is a former Marine pilot with two published military action-adventure novels based on his 793 combat missions. He holds an MA degree in counseling from Webster University and a BS degree in Business from Auburn University. Now retired and mellowed (his words), he’s having fun writing cozy murder mysteries for ages 10-110. His mysteries take place in Southern Pines, NC, where he lived when he was a junior high student with a reputation. For recreation, he enjoys hiking the great outdoors in his home state of Alabama. You can find him there or connect with him on our contact page. He’d like to hear from you.

Please join us in congratulating the winners of the AWC’s 2022 Writing Contests! Winners will receive certificates and cash rewards, and they will also be published in our upcoming anthology. Congratulations again, writers! It was a pleasure to read your words.

Short Story

First Place: "When Worlds Collide" by Octavia Kuransky, Center Point, AL

Second Place: "Grimm’s School for the Morally and MeToo Challenged" by Tay Berryhill, Birmingham, AL

Flash Fiction

First Place: "Grandpa Versus the Giant Gorilla" by Vic Kerry, Oakman, AL

Second Place: "Lucky" by Kate Duthu, Mobile, AL

First Chapter of Novel

First Place: "Inescapable" by WB Henley, Indian Springs, AL

Second Place: "Blame it on the Moon" by Kathleen Thompson, Birmingham, AL

Memoir

First Place: "Saint Chris, Protect Me" by Doug Gray, Fayetteville, TN

Second Place: "The Reliquary" by Christopher Jay Jones, Anniston, AL

Formal Poetry

First Place: "Writer at Mill Creek" by Emma Fox, Birmingham, AL

Second Place: "Afternoon in the Old Harshaw Cemetery, Haiku One" by Anne P. Wheeler, Birmingham, AL

Free Verse Poetry

First Place: "A choreography of almost" by Miriam Calleja, Birmingham, AL

Second Place: "Salt on a Bird's Wing" by Catherine Hall Kiser, Fairhope, AL

Prose Poetry

First Place: "Forsythia" by Karen McAferty Morris, Pensacola, FL

Please join us on Saturday, August 27, for a slate of virtual activities in lieu of our in-person annual conference.

Admission is free for AWC members and contest winners, but registration is required. You can register via Eventbrite using this link. The Zoom link will be sent in a series of reminders starting on Saturday, August 21. 

Here’s the schedule of activities:

12 p.m. – Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones’s Keynote Address: “Poetry as a Path to Reparations: The Role of Art in the Justice Struggle”

1 p.m. – AWC Contest Winners Announced

2 p.m. – AWC Annual Business Meeting (all members encouraged to attend, as we’ll be electing new board officers)

Hope to see everyone there!

The AWC Board of Directors recently met to discuss the viability of this year's in-person conference as it is currently planned. For what are likely a variety of reasons, our registration numbers are down relative to pre-Covid conferences. Unfortunately, projected costs for the conference are the same or higher. In the interest of fiscal responsibility, the board voted to alter our plans for this year's conference with an eye toward positioning the organization to host a well-attended and dynamic in-person event in 2023, which is our 100th Anniversary year. 

Here are the changes we decided are necessary for this year:

• We will no longer meet in person at the O'Neal library later this month.

• We will promptly refund all conference registration fees already paid.

• The annual writing contest will proceed as planned (with winners announced virtually on August 27, as enumerated in the next bullet point).

• In lieu of an in-person event, we will instead host a smaller virtual event on Saturday, August 27. We'll kick off at 12 p.m. with Ashley Jones's keynote address, "Poetry as a Path to Reparations: The Role of Art in the Justice Struggle," followed by the announcement of the AWC contest winners at 1 p.m.. Then, at 2 p.m., we will hold our annual business meeting, at which time the membership will elect incoming board officers.

• Admission to the virtual events on August 27 will be free and exclusively available to current AWC members and contest winners (though registration will be required -- stay tuned for details on how to register). We will proceed with the free agent pitch sessions and manuscript consultations as planned for those registrants who have already signed up for them, still on a first come, first served basis.

• We are in the process of reaching out to all panelists and presenters to reschedule them, either for next year's in-person conference or as part of a series of virtual events to be scheduled in the coming months.

• We will use these virtual events as a way to "nurture and engage" our membership (for free or at low cost to them) and to promote the in-person conference next year, which will double as a celebration of the organization's centennial.

• We will announce the dates and location of the 2023 conference on August 27.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Our main goal is to offer value to our members while being good stewards of the organization's limited resources. We believe this is the best way to do that. While we will miss the opportunity to see everyone in person later this month, we're excited about what's in store for the coming year. 

We’re two weeks away from the start of our first in-person conference since 2019! We’ll be at the O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook, Alabama, from August 26 through August 28. If you haven’t registered already, here’s a link to our conference page where you can get the complete schedule and scroll to the bottom to register online. The deadline for Full Registration, Full Student Registration, and Saturday Specialty Admission Only is Monday, August 15 at 5:00 p.m. 

Here’s a link to a great feature article posted this morning in al.com, with all kinds of great quotes and information about the conference. Please read and share it!  

We’re really looking forward to seeing folks in person again. Our keynote speaker with be our very own Ashley M. Jones, and we’re excited for our panel celebrating the life and work of E.O. Wilson, along with other presentations from Sue Walker, Jennifer Horne, Jackie Trimble, Don Noble, Lee Rozelle, Tina Mozelle Braziel, Heidi Carroll, Karim Shamsi-Basha, Charlotte Pence, Brooke Champagne, and others! We’re also looking forward to announcing the winners of this year’s contest, including the brand new Roger Williams Peace Award for Writing, which goes to writing of any genre that best promotes peace among human beings and carries with it a prize of $1,000!  

Questions can be directed to conference chair, JJ Jones (jjsayspoetryplz.com).

Hope to see you in Mountain Brook in a couple of weeks!

Debra Goldstein is a short story writer and the author of the Sarah Blair mystery series. It was a treat to be able to talk with Debra about her journey to her writing career, her interest in mystery writing, and, of course, her latest release (Five Belles Too Many):

Bradley Sides: First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us over at the AWC. Before we get into your latest novel, Five Belles Too Many, do you mind talking about your journey to becoming a writer? When did you know you were going to write books?

Debra Goldstein: As a child, I enjoyed writing/telling stories and creating plays for my friends to act out. In college, I toyed with the idea of becoming a journalist or a writer, so one of my majors was English. I deliberately graduated a term early and two days later went to New York with two goals: obtain a job in publishing and get on Jeopardy. While I job hunted by day, I typed law school applications at night. I was lucky to achieve my goals but decided I didn’t want to be at the bottom of publishing so in the fall I went to law school. Throughout law school and during my career as a litigator and judge, I wrote boring briefs and decisions, any skit needed for a party or organizational project, and talked about writing. Finally, after being challenged to write or stop talking about it, I wrote Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus in the 1970’s. It was published by a small press in 2011 and received a 2012 IPPY award.

For the next few years, I tried to keep my writing and judicial careers separate. Just before my second book, Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery, was set to be released, an attorney and his client appeared before me. At the end of each hearing, I’d ask, “Is there anything more?” and the well-trained lawyers would answer “No, your honor,” before I did a standard closing. On this particular day, the attorney did what he was supposed to do, but his client said, “Yes, your honor. There is one more thing.”

I glanced at the attorney to give him time to control his client, but he put his hands up in the air indicating that was an impossibility. So, I asked the client, “What is it, sir?”

When he replied, “No matter how you rule, I’m going to buy your book,” I knew it was time to decide between my passion for writing and my lifetime appointment. I chose passion. Oh, and he probably didn’t buy the book because I ruled against him.

BS: Reading is a big part of so many writers’ lives. Is this true for you?

DG: Yes, I have always been an avid reader. I don’t read quite as much since I began writing, but I try to take a month off between my books to catch up on my pleasure reading.

BS: Five Belles Too Many is the fifth novel of your Sarah Blair Mystery. For readers who aren’t familiar with the series, what’s it about?

DG: Sarah Blair was married at eighteen, divorced at twenty-eight. The only thing she got out of the marriage was her Siamese cat, RahRah. In One Taste Too Many, she is finding herself and wishing she were as goal oriented as her twin sister, Chef Emily. When Sarah’s ex-husband is murdered by what appears to be a taste of Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp, Sarah must find the true killer or take her sister’s place in a food exhibition. For a woman who is more afraid of the kitchen than murder, Sarah has incentive to clear her sister’s name. As the series evolves, so does the amateur sleuthing and the character of Sarah. The series is meant to be light – a beach, bedside, or airplane read – and fun, but with a whodunit that will always keep the reader guessing.

Woman’s World Magazine picked One Taste Too Many as a cozy book of the week. Two Bites Too Many, Three Treats Too Many, and Four Cuts Too Many were all Silver Falchion finalists. I am excited about newly released Five Belles Too Many because it is one of my favorite books in the series. In Five Belles, Sarah is forced to be her mother’s chaperone when her mother is one of five finalists in a reality TV competition to win the perfect Southern wedding. To make matters worse, the contestants and chaperones must stay at a bed and breakfast run by Sarah’s greatest nemesis, Jane. When the television show’s producer is found dead, with Jane crouched over the body, Sarah must either help her nemesis or chance more of the cast and crew being permanently eliminated.

BS: What draws you to mystery writing?

DG: I’m drawn to mystery writing by the challenge of crafting an enjoyable whodunit.

BS: I’m interested in the approach to writing when working with a series. Does the story tend to unfold as you get to each novel? Or do you already have most of the series planned out—and use that outline to shape each book?

DG: Although I have a one paragraph premise for each book, I’m a pantser so the story unfolds as I write. Usually, once I start a book, I have an idea where it will go, but I can’t force it. I need to listen to the characters to get each book right.

BS: I’m drawn to books that are set in and work around the culinary world. For you, is this a world you are already familiar with, or did you have to do a lot of research to make sure you were getting the feeling right?  

DG: I am as clueless in the kitchen as Sarah. Takeout and her recipes that include pre-made ingredients, like Jell-O in a Can and Spinach Pie made with Stouffers frozen spinach souffle, are the limits of my cooking ability. Because we eat out a lot and I have several friends who are chefs in Birmingham, Alabama (quite a foody town), I let them teach me about their kitchens, utensils, and the interaction of those who work in a restaurant. My lack of knowledge gave them a lot of laughs and their patience enabled me, I hope, to get the feeling of the culinary world right.

BS: Before I let you go, can you tell us what you are working on next? Another Sarah Blair Mystery novel?

DG: I write long and short. Consequently, I’m working on several short stories – three of which are scheduled for publication in 2022. My long work in progress is a suspense novel rather than a Sarah Blair cozy mystery.

BS: Thank you again, Debra, for your time, and congratulations on the release of Five Belles Too Many!

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Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (Five Belles Too Many, Four Cuts Too Many, Three Treats Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, and One Taste Too Many). Her short stories, which have been named Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer finalists, have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, Malice Domestic Murder Most Edible, Masthead, Murder by the Glass, and Jukes & Tonks. Debra served on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and was president of the Guppy and SEMWA chapters. Find out more about Debra at https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com .

On the final weekend of August, the Alabama Writers’ Cooperative will partner with the O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook, Alabama, to host the venerable literary organization’s first in-person annual conference since 2019. Conference activities will begin on Friday, August 26, and end on Sunday, August 28, with most events taking place at the library.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones, will present a talk entitled “Poetry as a Path to Reparations: The Role of Art in the Justice Struggle.” Winners of the AWC’s annual literary contest will be announced at the awards banquet on Saturday evening, following the keynote address.

Jones, whose most recent collection of poetry is Reparations Now!, was selected unanimously by the AWC membership at last year’s virtual conference to serve as Alabama’s thirteenth poet laureate. Jones says that, for her, the personal and the political always intersect. With that in mind, her hybrid lecture and poetry reading will examine the ways art is a necessity in any struggle for freedom, whether individual or societal. “The ideas of ‘justice’ and ‘reparations’ are sometimes abstract and difficult to tangibly conceptualize,” she says. “Through my life, however, art—poetry in particular—has opened a door to my own self-esteem, cultural pride, and passion for social justice.” AWC president TJ Beitelman says the organization considers Jones’s keynote address at this year’s event as a way to publically celebrate her historic appointment last year as the first Person of Color and the youngest person to ever hold this position in Alabama. “Ashley embodies everything that is good and hopeful about the literary arts in this state. We’re lucky to have her as an ambassador, and we’re very much looking forward to her keynote address.”   

Another highlight of this year’s conference will be a panel discussion celebrating the life and work of renowned naturalist, author, and Alabama native E.O. Wilson, who passed away late last year. Moderated by UAB researcher Maggie Amsler, distinguished panelists Dr. James McClintock (UAB), Dr. R. Scot Duncan (Birmingham-Southern), Alabama Poet Laureate emerita Sue Brannan Walker (University of South Alabama), and Jimmy Stiles (Auburn) will discuss Wilson’s legacy as both a scientist and as a writer.   

Other featured faculty in this year’s conference are former Alabama Poet Laureate Jennifer Horne; Don Noble, host of Alabama Public Television’s “Bookmark;” decorated poet and director of UAB’s Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop, Tina Braziel; and recent NEA Fellowship-winner and director of the Stokes Center for Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama, Charlotte Pence.

In addition, panels and talks will cover topics as diverse as writing for television and film; writing about the natural world; and writing horror fiction. AWC members who register for the conference will also have the opportunity to pitch book concepts to literary agents and to submit samples of their original works in progress for free manuscript consultations with working writers and editors.  

Established in 1923, AWC is one of the longest-standing writers’ organizations in the United States. Its mission is to nurture and engage a diverse community of Alabama writers, and its annual conference is its primary means of fulfilling that mission for writers and poets across Alabama and beyond. Since 1931, it has also been the organization responsible for selecting the state’s Poet Laureate.  

For more information and to register for the AWC Annual Conference, visit https://alabamawriterscooperative.org/2022-conference.

Questions should be directed to AWC Conference Chair JJ Jones at jjsayspoetryplz@me.com.

Kristina Howard-Booth is the author of Amazing Appellations: Discovering the Names of Jesus and Sojourner’s Journey: 70 Days of Encouragement During Times of Anxiety, Fear, and Depression. It was a pleasure to be able to chat with Kristina about her journey to writing, her desire to uplift with her work, and how she seeks to share hope with others:  

Bradley Sides: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us here at the AWC, Kristina. I’m always interested in how writers become writers. Do you mind talking about your journey to writing?

Kristina Howard-Booth: I feel as if I have always been writing; it was a way to untangle the myriad of thoughts in my head. I began journaling before I was in middle school. I tended to keep my writing to myself since I am dyslexic and did not want anyone to see how that displays itself in my handwritten journals. Praise God for computers and spellcheck. As my relationship with the Lord grew, I spent more time writing my thoughts on the Scripture I had been studying and sharing those writings with my family and close friends. About ten years ago, after walking alongside a friend as she developed an in-depth discipleship and coaching program, I wanted to write a devotional of encouraging Scriptures as a companion to the program. I did and used it with life coaching clients; then, during the early stages of the pandemic, the Lord led me to release it through KDP as my first book (which I am currently re-editing.) Through that journey, I found a real passion for devotional writing; it is a way for me to share the hope and love of Jesus with people I may never meet. I use my writing to uplift, encourage, and embolden those who read it and pray that I get to continue doing so.

BS: Your new book is Amazing Appellations: Discovering the Names of Jesus. For readers who aren’t familiar with your work, what can they expect to uncover in your latest release?

KHB: Amazing Appellations: Discovering the Names of Jesus walks through ninety of the names and titles of Jesus found throughout the Bible. They are broken down into five categories: Gospel Introductions, Prophesied Titles, Names Jesus gave Himself, Names the Disciples Gave Jesus, and Revelatory Names. Each name has a short devotional explanation and an accompanying prayer focusing on that specific name. The desire is for the reader to come away with a new and deeper understanding of who Jesus is.

BS: This is your second book, with both of your releases being devotional releases. What draws you to this space of writing?

KHB: Devotional writing is a way for me to share the Gospel with others, to show them the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord in a way they may not have thought about before. It is also a format that allows the reader to go as deep as they want to with it; for the busy mom, it may be that she only has time to read through it once and have it in her head for the rest of the day; or for the person that has more time they can read it and really ponder what is being said, maybe even do a bit more research on their own.

BS: What is your process like?  

KHB: My process tends to involve a lot of research and study. It is essential that I have my facts right when referring to Scripture because I do not want to take any verses out of context or mislead anyone; therefore, I spend a lot of time reading commentaries and comparing translations. Once I get to the actual writing part, I see what the Lord is saying to me in that Scripture and decide on how I would explain it to someone who may not have read it before. 

BS: I know you are active in various faith-based communities. I’m sure these experiences greatly inspire your written work, right?

KHB: Oh, yes, the Lord has allowed me to be a part of many different service organizations, locally and globally, over the years; and in every instance, the thing people needed most was hope. So learning how to share the hope found in Jesus with people in vastly different circumstances from me is the fuel for my writing. Moreover, the Lord continually shows me how to use it to encourage more than I could have ever imagined.

BS: As we wrap up here, what you are working on now? And how can our readers keep up with you?  

KHB: I am currently working on two projects: Songs of Steadfast Love, a walk through Psalms focusing on how the steadfast love of the Lord is seen in each of them, is for my weekday microblog; and I am in research mode for a study of Luke with a different slant. You can find me and my weekday writings on Instagram and Facebook @sojournersjourney20 or on my website www.sojournersjourney.net.

BS: Congratulations, Kristina, on your book’s release. I wish you much success with it and your upcoming projects!

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Kristina Howard-Booth has been a passionate Christ-follower for over thirty years. She began leading and speaking to groups while in high school, a trait that carried through college as an active member of the Baptist Campus Ministries at the University of Alabama. In 2003, Kristina and her husband were appointed by the International Mission Board to go into North Africa and the Middle East, since returning home they have been a part of numerous short-term trips in the United States and abroad. Kristina’s dedication to discipleship and encouragement has only grown over the last fifteen years; along with becoming a Certified Christian Life Coach, she has continued to lead youth and women’s church groups. Kristina is currently pursuing her Masters of Biblical Theology through Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.

Humor can be appealing or appalling, but any writer can benefit from adding a little humor to their work. Humor writing is not easy, however, and print humor demands a lighter touch than verbal humor.

The first rule of humor writing is to know your audience. Identify with their background, upbringing, culture, age, location, or life experiences in order to get on their wave length. If you’re writing for a religious newspaper, skip the off-color jokes and sexual innuendoes.  Your readers must be comfortable with your humor.

The second rule of humor writing is to develop a unique comic perspective, the motor that drives your comic engine. Seinfeld focuses on the minutiae of everyday life. David Barry lampoons everyone in his column from politicians to toilets using his trademark, “I’m not making this up.” Comedienne Rita Rudner packs a wallop into every line such as “golf is a short word for a long game.” Analyze what makes you laugh so you can discover your own comic voice.

A third rule of humor writing is to use your imagination. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Humor is subjective so be prepared to fail occasionally. Create a quirky character for your story. Use exaggeration and/or understatement.  Focus on the illogical, the unpredictable, and the ridiculous. Try some satire or self-deprecating humor. Then add some verbal gymnastics or take an old cliché and twist it around such as W. C. Fields did in the following quote, “if at first you don’t succeed, then quit.”

Making people laugh is more difficult than making them cry, but it’s much better for their psyches. Humor eradicates hostile feelings and builds community. It’s hard to hate someone you’ve laughed with so lighten up. Loosen up. Then go write some humor.

(This essay originally appeared in the East Tennessee Newsletter (Knoxville Writers’ Guild))

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Judy DiGregorio is recognized as a Woman of Distinction in the Arts by the YWCA. She is also a Distinguished Alumna of New Mexico Highlands University. She has published hundreds of columns and essays in The Writer, Army-Navy Times, New Millennium Writings, the Chicken Soup books, and numerous anthologies and has worked as a humor columnist for The Oak Ridger, Anderson County Visions Magazine, Senior Living and EvaMag. Judy's collection of humorous essays, Life Among the Lilliputians from Celtic Cat Publishing , was featured at the 2009 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. She also participated in the 2010 Southern Festival with her second book, Memories of a Loose Woman. Celtic Cat Publishing also released a CD, Jest Judy, read by the author and available on Itunes, and also published her third humor book, Tidbits, in the summer of 2015. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. She has been featured on Channel 10 “Your Stories” by Abby Hamm and on WDVX Tennessee Shines Radio, Knoxville.  

Judy served on the Playhouse Board of Directors where she performed in 14 productions at the Oak Ridge Playhouse.   Judy has spoken at the UT Writers in the Library Series, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, as well as numerous writing conferences and festivals including the Tennessee Mountain Writers’ Conference in Oak Ridge, Alabama Writers’ Conclave, and Chattanooga Writers Conference. In her spare time, Judy hangs out with her first (and last) husband and writes light verse and humorous essays, sings with the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Choir, performs Sephardic Hispanic music, and cuddles her great granddaughter.

You can visit her website at www.judyjabber.com.