Monthly Archives: October 2012
Six Lessons The Casual Vacancy Teaches Authors
by Jordyn Redwood If you are reading this post and unaware, the novel The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s foray into the realm outside of Harry Potter-the YA series that made her a billionaire-literally. First of all, I did read … Continue reading
A Calling or an Offering
by Terry Burns Some will not agree with me on this, and that is surely okay, but I know a lot of Christian writers think all Christian writers have been called by God to write. I don’t believe that, any … Continue reading
The Heroine Behind The Story
by Janet Chester Bly Most of Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot, happens in or near Gearhart, Oregon in 1905. The railroad opened up more tourists for this seacoast village, tucked between crashing surf and Pacific forests. One of its most prominent … Continue reading
When In Doubt…Smile!
By Tina Radcliffe More often than not you’re going to run into obstacles on this writing journey. Those moments when you feel overwhelmed seem to appear out of nowhere, just when you thought you had everything mapped out. Obstacles can … Continue reading
Let’s Get Emotional
By Margaret Brownley Think back to your earliest childhood memory. You were probably three, four or perhaps even five at the time. Now think about how you felt. You might have been scared or hurt. Perhaps you felt giddy with … Continue reading
The Good, The Bad, and the Gutless
by DiAnn Mills You’re an excellent writer. You’ve spent hours developing your character, but something’s missing. Frustration is eating a hole into your creativity because your character is too proud to admit he might not be perfect. You have: •Researched … Continue reading
Making a Living as a Writer
by Chip MacGregor MacGregor Literary Inc. www.chipmacgregor.com I’m often asked by writers how they can make a living with their work – and I usually explain to them that, when you look at writers who are making a living at … Continue reading
Peace and Safety Fear and Conflict
by Davalynn Spencer Okay, I admit it. I talk to my characters. Sort of. Basically, they let me peek into their lives and see what they’re up to. I’m glad they trust me that much, because how else could I … Continue reading
Five Steps to Managing Writer Meltdowns
by Lisa Jordan I chatted with a friend the other night and confessed I had a blog post due for ACFW, but I was struggling for a topic. She suggested I write about what was going on currently in my … Continue reading
Be Brave. Go Write.
by Crystal Laine Miller What do you do with your time? “I work, eat, sleep, clean, drive, talk, cook, shop, groom, feed the dog/cat/horse/kids/spouse, eat (oh, wait, I said that,)” ….what else? I read. I write. Sounds simple, hey? Yeah, … Continue reading
The Naming Game
by Sarah Sundin Most authors love the process of finding the perfect character name, but it can also cause headaches. When writing my newest World War II novel, With Every Letter (Revell, September 2012), I took many things into consideration … Continue reading
Graduation Day
by Lillian Duncan Randy Ingermanson likens fiction writing to high school. He talks about freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior writers and then there’s graduation day–becoming a published author! How does a writer reach graduation day? There are, of course, different … Continue reading
Encouragement for Writers
by Nikki Arana If you are struggling with your writing, continue reading . . . People are always surprised to learn that I have sold everything I ever sent out. From that first magazine article in 2003 for Writers Digest, … Continue reading
Focus Your Premise
What’s at stake? What’s the story question? by Rachel Hauck Premise Every story needs a basic start: a premise. It’s the foundation for your idea. The premise defines what’s at stake? What the story is about? “What will the protagonist … Continue reading
The Story is in the Details
By Margaret Daley We all know that character and plot are important elements to writing, but I’m here to remind you of the importance of the details in your story. I had a friend tell me she sent out her … Continue reading