NOTE: Deadline extended to August 1, 2024, for publication in 2025.

I’m compiling a collection of stories on how God inspires our writing and our writing lives. It’s directed primarily toward Catholic writers and has a combination of saints, first-hand experiences, and stories about famous Catholic authors.

The idea came from a long-running book series Three Minutes A Day, which are simple inspirational Christian stories. It got me thinking about all the inspirational stories I’ve heard from other writers about how God had guided them or others they know in their writing. I could gather 366 stories (one a day including Feb 29), publish them, and both present the book to the Guild as a gift for members and sell it on Amazon with the profits going to the Guild.

(Why Catholic only? It’s a target audience issue. I want stories about saint writers, intercessions, etc., which might not make the book palatable for Protestant readers.)

His Word Inspires Ours

Reflections on how God guides the lives of writers

I want to compile a book of 366 short stories of inspiration. The format follows Three Minutes a Day in that the stories are not necessarily devotional in nature, but talk about events that show God’s workings in our writing lives. Some examples:

How the Catholic Writers Guild grew from a Yahoo chat to an international organization
How a chance opening in a publisher’s schedule led me to create a devotional with my deacon father
How a saint used the written word to bring faith to others
How you or someone else was inspired by a saint, God, or fellow Catholic in their writing (with results – no generic “I’ve gotten so much help”)

Important Do NOTs

Do not submit testimonies. If your story is essentially praise for the Guild or God, then think about how you can center it around an event and put it in a story/news format.
Do not submit lessons or preaching, just short, newsy-type stories that show God’s hand
Do not tie it to a specific holiday. We want this to be evergreen.
Do not send attachments. I’ll send it back telling you to read these guidelines.

Guidelines:

Title (5 words or less)

Story (175 words or less.) If it MUST be longer, it must be able to break into 175-word segments with a clear event and break in each, like a serial story. Parts will be designated as Title, Part 1; Title Part 2, etc. Three parts maximum.

Bible verse (20 words or less) Use the USCCB Version. https://bible.usccb.org/bible

Name and 15 words or less about you (can include a link) that (preferably) apply to the story. For example:

Karina Fabian is a founder of the Catholic Writers Guild. Learn more at http://catholicwritersguild.org
Love in a Pot of Rice by Karina Fabian and Deacon Steve Lumbert is available on Amazon: link

Please send your stories in the body of the email. Mail to karina (at) fabianspace.com. Put “His Word Inspires Ours” in the subject line.

Deadline:

Submissions will be accepted through October 1, 2023.

Rights and Payment:

I am asking for First Worldwide Anthology rights in English. I ask that you do not resell or republish your story for a year after publication.

This is a labor of love. All royalties will go to the Catholic Writers Guild. All contributors will receive an electronic copy. I’ll be giving the electronic file to the Guild to give to all existing and new members as well.

Sample:

Where is a Place for Me?

When my Catholic science fiction anthology, Infinite Space, Infinite God was published, I went looking online for other Catholic writers. This was back in the days of Yahoo groups, and I found CatholicWriters. I’d hoped to find mentors, suggestions for promotion, and a tribe to grow with.

While I’d found a tribe, we were all in the same boat, and while some shared tips that worked for them, overall, we mostly bemoaned the lack of help for Catholic writers. There were writing groups for every genre – why not for us Catholics?

That’s when a group of us decided to take action and founded the Catholic Writers Guild. We organized, incorporated, and created a home for people who wanted to forge a place for Catholic writing and a rebirth of Catholic fiction. Over a decade later, the Guild hosts two conferences per year, retreats, vetting services, critique groups, and more. With 500-plus members, the Guild is launching careers, and it all started with a group of people asking, “Where is a place for me?”

“…should I not be seeking a pleasing home for you?” Ruth 3:1

Karina Fabian is a founder of the Catholic Writers Guild. Learn more at https://catholicwritersguild.org