Category Archives: Advice
Back Story vs Character History, Part One
by Rachel Hauck Ding, ding! Referee: “Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the first ever bout between Back Story and Character History.” Wahhaaaaa. Cheeerrrs! Ref: “In this corner, from the New York City, wearing black shorts, weighing in at a hefty … Continue reading
Conference Benefits
by Dani Pettrey I’m often asked if the cost of attending a writing conference is worth it, particularly for the unpublished author. I can only speak from personal experience, but I have found writing conferences to be extremely worthwhile, especially … Continue reading
Psychopaths in Fiction
by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT Colloquially, people use the term psychopath (pronounced sigh-COP-ah-thee) to indicate that someone is “crazy,” but this would be a gross overstatement. I’ve got family members who are crazy, but are not remotely psychopaths. In the psychological … Continue reading
Therapists in Fiction
by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT I like to think that any professional, not just therapists, would laugh at their fictional counterparts. I assure you that Drs. Frasier Crane and Hannibal Lecter are hardly representative of the majority of us. No, authors … Continue reading
ACFW REWIND: Developing the Real Life Substance
(Editor’s Note: Today, ACFW re-runs a worthwhile post from the past, in this case from February, in what we call the ACFW rewind, which highlights previous posts that deserve a second look. ) by Michael Lee Joshua I “live” in … Continue reading
Engaging Events
by Suzanne Kuhn Every time you you have an event, whether it is a book signing, a meet and greet, a launch party, or speaking with a book club, you are representing yourself as the flagship of your brand. How … Continue reading
WRITING: a Potentially Problematic Passion
by J.A. Marx When I was a child, I didn’t write stories, I acted them out. Living in the heart of the Rockies, my playground was made up of rock outcroppings and climbing trees. Today’s term for this type of … Continue reading
Inspiration for a Story
by Sandra Robbins When I first started writing, I was somewhat shocked to find that I would be an active participant in the marketing of my books. So I said a prayer and jumped right in. Besides all the resources … Continue reading
Do You Know Your Audience?
by Davalynn Spencer “I love your book,” she said, dark eyes sparkling with genuine appreciation. “I’m going to finish it tonight. I’m saving the last chapter until after the service.” “The service” was our church’s Christmas Eve celebration. The dark … Continue reading
ACFW Journal Extra: Happily Ever After Disasters
By Jeannie Campbell, LMFT ACFW Journal Contributing Writer When a characterization trend becomes so dominant it leads to copycat plots, there’s a problem. What trend? That would be the one of the female savior-as referenced in my ACFW Journal article, … Continue reading
In the Beginning
by Tina Radcliffe In the beginning, there was the Smith and Corona. That was my beginning. I started out on a portable that I toted to a shady spot under a tree in my backyard. At fourteen, I was thrilled … Continue reading
Going Dark
by Beth Vogt Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer. Not a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher or – like my husband – a spy or an astronaut. So imagine my surprise when I realized that … Continue reading
The Vulnerable Writer
by Charlotte Snead Writers are a strange lot. We talk about our characters as if they were our friends-and perhaps they are, our best friends. I don’t just sleep with just anyone, and these, my companions, talk to me at … Continue reading
The Poetry of Plots
by Christine Sunderland As Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, they celebrate their own resurrections. They celebrate the ending of their story as human beings. And it is a satisfying ending for each of us. Just so, as I plot … Continue reading
Motivation-the Foundation of Compelling Characters
By Ane Mulligan For those who have read Debra Dixon’s book GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, I have come to the conclusion that Motivation is the most important. Motivation engages us. We can relate to character motivations. They form the … Continue reading