Tell us a bit about yourself and your family.
I recently married the man of my dreams and my hero. Hero, you say? Yes, hero...simply because he unselfishly, without question became not just my husband but an instant father and he is GREAT at it! We have three boys ages 15, 11 and 9 and FINALLY another female in the house, our sweet pup Gracie!
When did you first develop of love for writing? What topics do you most enjoy writing about?
I didn't even know I enjoyed writing so much until a couple of year ago. July 2010 to be exact when the LORD called me to write. I had just started a blog because I thought other people could laugh and probably more so cry with me at my crazy, messy life. I was praying one day about what God wanted me to do with my blog and He led me to 1 John 1:1-4 ~ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we PROCLAIM concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and TESTIFY to it, and we PROCLAIM to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We PROCLAIM to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We WRITE this to make our joy complete.
The words in all CAPS are the words that hit me like a ton of bricks and when I got to the last verse the LORD very clearly gave me a call to write. So I did out of obedience and am still writing out of obedience. Sometimes, I get in the way and then I am not being so obedient but thank God he forgives!
What kinds of differences do you notice with your writing when it's for a blog versus writing something that you have had (or hope to be) published professionally?
I don't notice any differences. I really do try to write what the LORD places on my heart and again, I sometimes get in the way and write my own ideas and when I do, I just ask Him to forgive me. My blog is mostly devotionals and I am in the process of writing a book which is more personal testimony and lessons from life.
You recently launched a new blog called God's Girls. You say in your inaugural post that you see this as a new ministry opportunity. Can you tell us a little bit about what this means for you and what you see as your vision for this new venture?
Yes, I am so excited about this. I attended a writers/speakers conference a couple of weeks ago and really sensed that God was calling me to make it less about me and more about Him. So I am moving my personal blog allisonherrin.com over to gods-girls.net simply because I can't do both. Please don't get me wrong, I think it is great to have a personal blog and follow many who do, I simply can't do both. I am not that good!
You mention having attended the She Speaks conference which is put on by Proverbs 31 Ministries. There are so many conferences out there to choose from - from women's conferences to blogger conferences to writer conferences and so on. What was it about She Speaks that drew you in? How valuable was the experience for you as a writer?
Honestly, I chose this particular conference simply because I had the opportunity to meet with several publishers. Wow, that sounds really selfish putting that out there but it is what it is...I am a sinner just like the rest of you :-)
Really, it was a phenomenal weekend but not because I learned great, unknown truths about speaking or writing but because I had some one on one girl time with the LORD. It was like any other conference where you meet with God and hear some great speakers. Yes, I learned a few things of value as a speaker/writer but I truly believe if we are called by God to write, speak or whatever it is that He is calling us to, then He will annoint us for the task and our wisdom will come from Him. Now this doesn't mean that we can't learn from others, we can, but God is the greatest teacher of all.
You are part of the leadership team of Voices: Write To Be Heard. What has being a part of this group and leadership team meant for you?
I think more than anything the new friends that I have made and the deeper relationships that have been developed along the way.
Pet peeves. We all have them. What are some of your pet peeves in the world of writing? What do you think writers can do to avoid these problems?
First let me say that I will overlook my own pet peeves in my own writing at times. None of us are perfect... However, my biggest pet peeve is mispelled words. I can focus in on them in a skinny minute (except in my own writing of course).
If you had to give one bit of advice to someone who is an aspiring writer, what would it be?
This is probably going to sound very cliche but I think the best place to start, no the only place to start, is with God. I think we need to ask Him several questions and let Him answer:
1. What do you want me to write?
2. Who do you want me to write to?
3. How can I bring Glory to you in my writing?
I know this sounds overly simple, but it really is. Before I write anything I am asking the LORD what He has on the agenda. Again, sometimes I miss the mark BIG TIME, but thank God He redeems everything.
Thank you so much, Allison, for sharing with us here today! You can learn more about Allison over at her blog, God's Girls!
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