These are the tips I promised in my workshop at NCHE.  For those of you who have been waiting patiently, thanks.  For those of you who were not there and have no desire to learn about writing, my apologies. 

Seriously though, just read them anyway.  It is always good to learn something new. 

• Eliminate time wasters, especially tv, the internet, etc.
• Constantly look for information-- topic ideas, relevant information, sources, resources to site, etc.  Once you train your mind to look for these things, you will find it hard to stop! 
• Learn to think in categories/make connections between your life and scripture.  Evaluate every experience as a possible illustration for a story.  People love stories!
• Have a rich interior life (ie, your thought life).  Compose writing in your head so that when you sit down to write, the piece is already well thought out. You can think at odd times-- driving carpool, nursing a baby in the middle of the night, as you are trying to fall asleep, in the shower, etc.  Read a lot as well to inspire and expand your thought life.
• Keep a portfolio of all your work-- include rejection letters!  Celebrate your successes and your failures, as all of it is part of the writing journey.
• Have a folder or notebook with different sections for different projects you are working on.  Don't be afraid to have several things going at once.  Then you can work on whatever you are in the mood to work on, especially when inspiration strikes.  Keep notes, quotes, relevant articles, ideas, possible titles, scribblings, etc. in this folder.  I keep one of those large polyvinyl file folders with every section filled!
• Take index cards or a small notebook with you wherever you go so you can write down ideas when they come to you.  You think you will remember, but you won't!  Send yourself an email if you need to, or even leave yourself a voicemail if you are caught somewhere without paper.  I also keep paper by my computer to write things down.
• Recycle material by writing about the same topic in different ways.  Get creative!  The same topic or illustration could be reformatted as a devotion, an article for women, and a chapter in a book-- as long as it is written with a different focus and published in different places.  And don't forget to sell previously published pieces to publications who take reprints!
• Get organized.  Make your life work for you.  Keep lists of writing assignments, lists of household responsibilites, lists of anything you need to keep track of.  Keep a calendar so you don't forget appointments.  "Think once and write it down." (I learned that from Kym Wright.) Now your brain is free to think about writing!  Form habits now so that when you are a published writer with even more demands on your time, you will already be on top of things. 
• Learn to manage life when you are on deadline.  Have a system in place that works for your family-- quick, easy meals, a sitter you can call on, set times to write, etc.  Above all, keep the lines of communication open between you, your spouse and your children so no one's feelings are hurt and no one ends up feeling forgotten.
• Keep all the ideas you have, as you never know when you may go back and develop or apply a new illustration to an old topic.  Save those "there must be a lesson in here somewhere" (as my friend Karen says) moments by writing them down when they happen.  I met with a writer who is just now writing about an event that happened to her family seven years ago.  She has been carrying this idea around for seven years and is just now using it!
• Make sacrifices to achieve your writing goals, but don't sacrifice your family!  Suggestions: no tv, limit phone conversations or just don't take calls, skip that night out with the girls, cut back on other pursuits for a season, go with less sleep by getting up earlier or staying up later.  Guard your writing time!
• Fit writing around your family rather than your family around writing.  Don't write when the kids are around if you can help it.  You don't want them to remember a mom who was always on the computer.  Make sure they know that they are more important than writing!  Look them in the eyes when you are talking to them and don't have conversations while staring at the computer screen.
• Research magazines and publishers you want to write for.  Check a writer's market guide for what they are looking for, how to submit queries, etc.  Read through some copies of magazines as well just to get a feel for the publication.  Know your stuff.  Editors want to work with writers who have done their homework.
• Get to know your target audience.  Keep up with current events and trends that could affect your writing.