Monthly Archives: May 2012
More Right Than Wrong
by Arlene James Judging contests and critiquing manuscripts are activities that can swamp a writer if she isn’t careful, but they can also be rewarding, I believe, for both the unpublished and the published. I sold into publication before professional … Continue reading
Shining God’s Light Through Our Writing
by Kathi Macias One question I am often asked is, “Why do you write about such dark topics?” My answer? “I don’t write about dark topics; I write about the Light that shines in the darkness.” Now I’ll admit that … Continue reading
New Fiction Publisher at Thomas Nelson
by Ami McConnell Thomas Nelson, Inc. Respected author friends, I’m so pleased and proud to introduce Thomas Nelson’s new publisher, Daisy Hutton! AM: Daisy, you’ve been in publishing for your entire career, and with Thomas Nelson for several years, racking … Continue reading
Stop, Drop and Roll: Adding the Crisis Scene
by Janice Thompson You’re at the 3/4 point in your novel and facing that all-important crisis scene. The Supreme Ordeal. The Black Moment. The Big Gloom. You know it’s critical to the story’s survival, and you want it to be … Continue reading
Everyday Heroes… in Writing and Life
by Michelle Grajkowski 3 Seas Literary Agency As the Memorial Day weekend filled with warm air and sunshine beckon me from my window, I can’t help but to look outside and to thank God for the blessings that He has … Continue reading
Who’s in Charge Here?
by Beth Shriver I find my stories taking on a life of their own at times. I think I’m going one way with the plot and it turns a corner without asking me. The same goes for characters. You think … Continue reading
How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?
by Beth vogt (Dani Pettrey, author of the gripping debut romantic suspense novel, Submerged, blogged yesterday about real issues in Christian fiction. Today I’m continuing the conversation about our characters’ lives before they ever appear in our books.) In every … Continue reading
Real Issues in Christian Fiction
by Dani Pettrey I often hear people say they don’t read Christian fiction because it doesn’t deal with real issues. I take issue with that. I’ve read phenomenal Christian novels dealing with issues like adultery (Dry as Rain by Gina … Continue reading
Where Do Ideas Come From?
by Lisa Lickel The journey of The Map Quilt started when I was in fifth grade, learning about the Underground Railroad, watching my grandmother sew quilts, and discovering the astonishing fact that not all black people in the United States … Continue reading
Quick Reference Guide to Research Methods
by Laurie Alice Eakes Recently, I enjoyed the privilege of giving an ACFW chapter a short workshop on research methods. Others have found this helpful, so I am hopeful you all will, too. Although I have more historical romances than … Continue reading
A Writers’ Budget – Surviving on Two Paychecks a Year
by Mary Ellis Ahhh, a writer’s budget…rather sounds like an oxymoron, no? Plenty of writers will tell you they have no budget. Money flies out just as fast as it flies in, and it doesn’t fly in often enough or … Continue reading
Getting Published in Today’s Market
by Mary Sue Seymour The Seymour Agency Are pre-published authors getting published in today’s market? I just sold Dann Stadler’s Angels in the Fire, the true story of a woman rescued from a car accident by angels, to Tim Peterson … Continue reading
The Green-Eyed Monster
by Lisa Karon Richardson Jealousy is a vicious taskmaster. More tyrannical than poor George III ever dreamed of, it extracts the joy from our days and leaves us only with burning want. What’s worse, outside of romantic attachments we don’t … Continue reading
Book Review: Trauma Plan
Title: Trauma Plan Author: Candace Calvert Publisher: Tyndale House Date: April 2012 ISBN: 978-1-4143-6111-6 Genre: Suspense Reviewed by: Holly Wolfe Killer opening. Maybe because I read this after focusing on contest entries and those first pages, but I was wowed … Continue reading
The Writer’s Tool Chest
by Aaron McCarver What is in your tool chest? Your writer’s tool chest that is. Tools are wonderful things. We are able to accomplish things with them we could not do otherwise. When thinking about it, we have conquered the … Continue reading