Editor B.J. Taylor’s Writing Is Going to the Dogs

By Diana Savage, director of the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal conference

Award-winning author B.J. Taylor has loved writing most of her life. In grade school, English was her favorite subject, and spelling bees were her specialty. As a teen, she kept a personal journal and hid it under her mattress.

Now a multi-published author, she’s even written novels in a genre she calls “dog-lit.” She tells people to think of it like chick-lit, except the stories are for dog lovers. This genre is a natural blending of B.J.’s passion for writing and her passion for helping dogs to find forever homes. Her desire is to promote the spirit of keeping one’s canine pets, not only during the good times, but also in challenging circumstances.

“Many times we have to PUT certain things into practice in order to keep our cool under pressure when we rescue a dog or bring home a dog from a shelter,” she says. “They all need the same thing: Patience, Understanding, and Training.”

B.J. also knows a thing or two about patience, understanding, and training as a writer. And she uses those qualities when turning personal experiences into stories that sell. She serves as representative for Guideposts, Angels on Earth, and Mysterious Ways magazines.

On Friday, May 15, at the 2015 Northwest Christian Writers Renewal, B.J. will meet with writers in group appointments. If you would like to show her your work, please follow the guidelines concerning what she would like to see and what she’s not looking at right now.

At the Renewal, B.J. will also present two workshops:

1) Writing for the Guideposts Contest: Learn how to craft a well-constructed Guideposts story, how to properly submit, whom to submit to, what to include, and when to send it in. Two of the twelve writers chosen to attend the 2014 Guideposts Writers Workshop were in B.J.’s class at a writers conference and learned her tips and tricks. The next contest year is 2016, and there will be thousands of entries. Don’t miss out on the knowledge, experience, and secrets B.J. will share as the winner of her own coveted spot in the 2004 Guideposts Writers Workshop.

2) Making $$$ Selling Personal Experience Short Stories: Want to know the formula for writing inspirational stories that sell? B.J. Taylor’s writing has appeared in many publications. Numerous writers have learned B.J.’s secret formula, submitted to Chicken Soup and Guideposts, and are now published authors too. Would you like to make money in your writing career? Then come to this workshop.

B.J. has been published more than forty times in Chicken Soup for the Soul as well as in Guideposts, Angels on Earth, John Gray’s Mars and Venus in Love, Writer’s Digest, Romantic Homes, Victorian Homes, and many other publications. Her latest book is Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love, and Second Chances. B.J. also compiled her own stories, plus the riveting stories of others, into Sunny Side Up: Inspirational Stories for Tough Times/Women/Dog & Cat Lovers. In addition, B.J. has authored a resource for writers, The Complete Guide to Writers Groups That Work.

Whether you want to find out more about writing inspirational stories, dog-lit, winning the Guideposts contest, or any number of other topics, you can learn a lot from B.J. Sign up today for the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal.

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Diana Savage, a graduate of Northwest University and Bakke Graduate University, sold her first article when she was still in college, and she’s been writing ever since. Now the principal at Savage Creative Services, LLC, she is also director of the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal conference. Her latest book is 52 Heart Lifters for Difficult Times.