We're excited to have author and Guideposts contributing editor Ginger Rue with us for Saturday's keynote address at the 2021 Southern Christian Writers Conference. She'll speak on the topic, "For the Lord"; she'll also lead a workshop titled "Hooks and Gimmicks in Fiction."
Ginger is a contributing editor for Guideposts Magazine and the author of the Aleca Zamm series (Simon & Schuster), the Tig Ripley series (Sleeping Bear Press), and the novels Brand New Emily and Jump (Tricyle Press). Her current book, Wonder Women of Science--a nonfiction anthology of outstanding women in today's STEM community--is co-authored with Tiera Fletcher, a rocket scientist working with NASA on the Mars mission. Ginger got her start writing for magazines such as Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and Family Circle. She's got a strong understanding of the publication process from all sides; she's also a strong Christian witness in her industry, and a popular speaker to church groups, schools, and others.
I recently had the chance to talk with Ginger about her writing and faith.
QUESTION: Your keynote session is titled "For the Lord." How do you see your role as a Christian writer today? How can you be a witness through your writing?
ANSWER: I'm not sure how to answer how I see my role as a writer--I see my role in everything the same way, whether it's writing or whatever else. My purpose is to honor and glorify the Lord in whatever I do. I think you can be a witness through your writing just as you are in every other interaction.
Q: How did you get started as a writer?
A: I started freelance magazine writing after my first child was born. I was in a bookstore with her in her stroller and I saw your (Cheryl Wray's) book, Writing for Magazines. I didn't know you could do that without being on staff at a magazine in NYC. I'd wanted to write ever since
I could remember but I didn't realize I could do nonfiction for magazines from home. I sold my first pieces to an educational magazine my students used in class when I was a teacher. Then I pitched Guideposts for Teens, which ended up being the beginning of a long relationship with the Guideposts publications.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who really desires to write fiction?
A: Write the story you want to read. Don't try to write something you think will sell. Usually the biggest splashes are made with things that no one expected and no one else is doing. And if it doesn't sell, then at least you enjoyed the process!
Q: Tell me a little bit about your personal life. Where you live, family, hobbies, etc.
A: My husband Dwight is a mechanical engineer and we've been married for a little over eight years. He is just so, so wonderful. We have a blended family of three "children" who are 21, 18, and 16. We live in Tuscaloosa, which is where I'm originally from (Northport, more specifically). My parents and Dwight's parents also live in Tuscaloosa/Northport, and I have six adorable nieces and nephews and a dog named Cookie who is the boss of me. Hobbies? What are those? I have no coordination for sports and little time for anything besides my family, my work, and my writing obsession. I do read sometimes, of course! That always feels like a real treat, especially if I'm not reading the book of someone I'm writing an article about.
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Hear from Ginger at the SCWC on June 4-5. You can still register for the conference (which will take place both in-person and virtually). If you'd like to attend, email us at scwritersconference@gmail.com for registration information.
You can click on items on the menu of this website ("Speakers," "Registration," etc. for more information about the conference.)
Learn more about Ginger:
At her WEBSITE.
On her AMAZON PAGE.