Frequently Asked Questions

How did you get started as a writer?
Like many writers, I started with what I knew. I studied smaller publications and wrote what they wanted it, the way they wanted it. I became a student of a publication before I submitted, always reading sample copies and looking at guidelines first. Then I slanted my articles to represent their needs, but with my distinctive voice and experience. I was a spelling and grammar fiend and sent the most professional manuscripts I could muster.

I also became committed to the craft and began attending writers’ conferences. I knew there was an enormous amount I didn’t know about writing, so I placed myself among people who knew more than I knew who could teach me.

You speak at writing conferences. What are you central messages to other writers?
First of all, be a steward of your craft and your passions. They’re gifts from God, and He doesn’t fling them around without a purpose. Be tenacious about writing. It took me years to complete my first novel, and if I’d given up on my first draft, which was horrible, it would have never been published. I had to have the drive within myself to make the manuscript better with consecutive revisions, then to take myself to a conference where I could meet editors face-to-face and sell them on my book.

Second, be a learner. I thank God for the people who’ve mentored me, edited my work, and built into my life as a writer. The writing life can be solitary, and you must actively pursue people who will surround you with encouragement and professional edification, or you’ll shrivel.

I’m blessed to be part of a group of totally fabulous women I lovingly refer to as the Wild Women of the Guild who infuse my life with joy, wisdom, and hilarity on the writing journey. If you don’t have a support group, find one, form one, or bang on someone’s cyber door and beg them to let you in.

Where do you find the topics for your writing?
My writing has grown out of my personal experience. I have a strong interest in the intergenerational influences upon our lives. My husband Dan and I both grew up with grandparents in our homes, and we cared for parents in our home for extended periods of time. Precious Lord, Take My Handgrew out of our experiences as caregivers, and themes in Hallie’s Heart have grown from my interest in how our heritage shapes us.

Like most writers, I find topics for my writing all around me—in the conversations of people in the grocery store line, in the way a young man moves down the aisle of a train, in an abandoned migrant shack on the corner of an apple orchard. You simply have to have a questioning mind and a desire to pursue the questions.

What other topics do you speak on?
My passion is to illuminate truth, which belongs to God, through the power of story. I do this in a number of ways when I speak, generally by drawing Scriptural applications from my life experiences. I rarely speak without infusing my presentations with humor. My purpose is to encourage my listeners by shining a light on the character of God, even in the darkness of our circumstances.

Is the name you write under your real name?
My first name is legally Michele, but I’ve gone by Shelly all my life. I married Dan Beach, so yes, I write under my real name.

What is the Cedar Falls Christian Writers’ Workshop, and when and where is it held?
The Cedar Falls Christian Writers’ Workshop is held each year in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The conference is usually the second week of June, running from a Wednesday through Saturday afternoon. The purpose of this workshop is to provide an intimate environment for writers to hone their craft and learn from experienced professionals. Each year we cap our registration at 35 participants to create a warm, personal experience for our attendees. Registration forms and more information can be downloaded here.

How do you find time to write?
I don’t. I have to make it. I am not by nature a disciplined person, and I have to work hard at creating structure in my life. I’ve had to work even harder at this since I became critically ill in 1999 with a brain lesion that left me with some wacky neurological challenges. When it comes to multi-tasking, I often feel that I have all the dexterity of an elephant on roller skates. So I work at organization and time management. I create goals for myself, and I set deadlines. I hate, absolutely hate, being late, so deadlines are my friend.

What’s your advice to beginning writers?
Work at getting better, even if rejection slips are coming in. Don’t give up. Become a skilled craftsman. Become a student of yourself – know your strengths and weaknesses as both a writer and a child of God. Communicating a message to the masses is a weighty burden spiritually.

I don’t think God could trust me early on in my writing career. I wanted to write for the sake of writing, not for the sake of the Kingdom. I had a lot to learn about myself first, and about the craft, before I had anything to say with authenticity. God was gracious and entrusted me with small things while He worked on teaching me greater things. A lot of those lessons came painfully, but they’re the threads of truth that run through my books.

If you think you’re at a “waiting” place in your writing, it’s probably just a “learning” place. Look around with new eyes and ask God how He wants you to use it. Then dive in and keep on writing.