by Martha Rogers One of my goals this year was to do more research and come up with more story ideas for both contemporary and historical novels. Research is fun and leads me into areas where I’ve never been before. … Continue reading
Research Addiction
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, research, tips
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Research and a Wealth of Stories
by Diana Wallis Taylor With Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate coming out in June, people ask me how I can write a whole book about a woman who appears only briefly in one paragraph of one of the Gospels. I … Continue reading
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Social Media. A Deliberate Endeavor.
by Suzanne Kuhn Social media. Just the mere term can stir fear in the heart of the edgiest thriller writer, causes the romance writer to pine for simpler days and has the mystery writer wondering if social media works. Social … Continue reading
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The Summer Season of Writing
by Telena Tanara Contreras The Arizona summer is an early arriver. In late March a dry breeze descends on the valley to give spring its notice; and a mere month later Queen Summer herself follows behind a procession of scorching … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing
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Food Fight!
by Rachel Hauck Boy, doesn’t that title just make you sit up and take notice. I woke up thinking about this today. Food. Writing. Diet Coke. Writing. Chips. Writing. Diet Coke. Writing. Tea. Writing. Water. Water. Water. To undo the … Continue reading
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What was the Question?
by Beth K. Vogt “I start with a question. Then try to answer it.” – Mary Lee Settle (1918-2005), author The best way to start a novel is with an Inciting Incident, right? The event that changes the main character’s … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Characters, Friends of ACFW, Plots, tips, writing
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Social Media Isn’t Just about Networking
by Laurie Alice Eakes I have no scientific or statistical data to backup what I’m about to proclaim and explain. What I have is personal experience and three years of observation. Four years ago, I joined Facebook. A year ago, … Continue reading
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Keeping the Reader in Mind
by Ruth A. Douthitt I teach writing to middle grade students here in Phoenix, and am amazed at their creativity when it comes to writing stories. As a writing teacher, I use a plotting diagram as well as an outline. … Continue reading
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When is Fiction Not Fiction
by Charlotte Snead His Brother’s Wife, published in October 2012 by Oak Tara, springs from the heart of one who has walked the halls of Walter Reed and seen our brave warriors. The dry places where they fought are only … Continue reading
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Dealing with Discouragement
by Ian Acheson Jenny* was running late. She grabbed the first seat inside the door, and acknowledged the teacher standing on the opposite side of the room. He welcomed her, unfazed by being interrupted. We were sharing our homework. A … Continue reading
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The British are Coming
by Christine Lindsay The British are coming! They said this when the Beatles arrived in New York, and they’re saying it again with the recent success of Downton Abbey. Recently an editor of one of the largest US publishing houses … Continue reading
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Seven Ways To Avoid Burnout
by Becky Wade Think back. Have any of your favorite authors simply stopped writing? Some may have retired at the end of a long career. But others likely quit writing because of burnout. It happens! I happened to me once. … Continue reading
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Three Steps to Publication – Guaranteed!
by Lillian Duncan All stories have a beginning, a middle, and end. If you want to get published you need to write the BEST BEGINNINGS, MARVELOUS MIDDLES, and EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS. Succeed with those three easy steps and you’ll have a … Continue reading
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ACFW New Releases: May 2013
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Follow the Heart by Kaye Dacus — An American woman is sent to England to marry wealth, but finds herself torn between the poor man … Continue reading
Posted in Books, New Releases
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The Writing Journey – Smile No Matter What!
by Donna L. Rich My last speaking engagement was with the Optimists Club, and they asked me to speak on my writing journey. Since they were optimists, I had to tell them about smile no matter what. When I was … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, tips
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