Write at Home: Bonita Lillie

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Welcome to Write At Home, a monthly feature here at HOTM. Marybeth Whalen will be introducing you to homeschool moms who write: curriculum authors, novelists, nonfiction writers, and popular bloggers and more. Many of us are deeply inspired by these moms who seem to “do it all.” This feature will provide you with a glimpse into their everyday lives.

This month we get to meet a wonderful friend and writer, Bonita Lillie. Bonita is an inspiring person with lots of great wisdom to share. We are glad she agreed to share with us at Write At Home!

Bonita, you loved to write but were reluctant to put yourself out there at first. Can you share some of the reasons for that?

I think it was primarily a lack of confidence coupled with a lack of knowing how to go about it. I thought published writers were special people, sort of like Hollywood stars. It took a while for me to realize that ordinary people like me could actually succeed in writing. God caused my path to cross with some published writers and editors and I realized that they were no different than me. They encouraged me to go for it and I did.

God has opened up some amazing doors for you to write in the homeschooling world. Can you share what you have done and a little bit about upcoming projects?

A few years after I started homeschooling my own children, a friend asked if I would teach her kids to write. I was reluctant to do so because even though writing came naturally for me I didn’t think I could teach anyone else how to do it. At the same time another friend opened a bookstore and asked me teach writing classes there. I taught the first class with great fear and trepidation.

Since I couldn’t find a writing curriculum I wanted to teach, I created my own. Over the next couple of years I created several other curriculum and the classes became very popular. In an effort to meet the increasing demand for classes, I produced a DVD/handbook curriculum called Hands-On Essays as a test pilot to see if it would sell. I took it to the North Carolina Home Educators Convention and a publisher saw it and offered me a publishing contract.

Currently, I’m working fast and furiously with my publisher to produce the curriculum for all the classes that I’ve taught. I also have a few homeschooling books in mind and would eventually like to branch out into writing books for women.

You hosted a writer’s group in your home for a while. What were some of the blessings of doing that? Do you recommend that women who want to write get involved in writer’s groups?

The biggest blessing for me was watching women who didn’t think they could write present their work to the group and suddenly realize that other people really liked what they had written. We had some awesome writers in that group!

I think writer’s groups are very beneficial as long as the atmosphere is positive and uplifting. Writer’s groups offer accountability and the chance to give and receive helpful feedback about your writing. Not to mention, it’s very motivating to meet with other people who get it and don’t glaze over when you talk about writing!

You produce a free weekly newsletter for writers that has really grown in subscribers. Tell us about that.

When I disbanded the writer’s group that met in my home I wanted a way to stay in touch and provide continual encouragement and helpful writing hints for the ladies in the group and other writers the Lord brought across my path. I decided to write a weekly email for a few weeks to see if it would be well received. I’m currently in the third year of writing that weekly email. It’s one of my most favorite things to write.

As the number of subscribers grew, some starting asking about archives of the emails they had missed. This year I started a writing blog to house those archives and to offer lots of other tidbits of interest to writers.

Anyone wanting to subscribe to the weekly emails can contact me at thewritingwell@carolina.rr.com to be added to the list.

What projects would you like to tackle in the future?

During the filming of the DVD portion of Hands-On Essays, I realized that I really enjoy the combination of writing and filming. I’d like to continue traveling down that vein and see where it leads. I could easily see myself writing and producing lots of entertaining and educational things for kids, maybe adults too.

I also dearly love to write devotionals and could see myself writing some devotional books for writers, women, and families.

I don’t know, I’ve learned to walk through the doors as they open regardless of whether or not I feel equipped to handle the job. I’m open to whatever adventures the Lord has for me.

Finally, share something you love about blogging and how you feel it has helped your writing.

I love being mentored by other bloggers! I’ve learned so much about homemaking, childrearing, being a wife, physical fitness and so much more, practical things that I can actually employ in my life, as well as spiritual messages that challenge me to the core.

As for writing, blogging is a great way to practice regular writing and it provides an instant audience.  Just as I feel I’ve been mentored by other bloggers, it’s my sincere desire to do the same for others. Blogging allows me to reach out and touch people I might never have been able to help otherwise, literally people around the globe!

Thanks Bonita for sharing with us this month at Write At Home. We’re glad you stopped by!

Marybeth Whalen is homeschooling mom to six children ranging in age from teen to toddler, as well as a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. In her writings, she addresses things like burnout, dealing with interruptions, and handling homeschooling from a very practical perspective. Be sure to visit her blog, Cheaper by the Half Dozen.