Tag Archives: writing
Finding Inspiration in the Oddest Places
by Connie Stevens Writers are asked all the time, “Where do you get your ideas?” The answers vary based on the genre. Some might hear a news report about an unsolved murder or a case of corruption. Others might gaze … Continue reading
Fiction and Reality
by Deborah Rather I write contemporary Christian romance. As soon as people find out that I have written numerous novels (nearly 80 now), they almost always ask the same question. “Where do you get your ideas?” This bewilders me. I … Continue reading
On the Road
by Kathleen Y’Barbo I’ve had a love affair with long, aimless drives well before I found love with a man who shared that passion. Sliding behind the wheel, plugging in the iPod or adjusting Pandora radio, and then pointing the … Continue reading
To Err is Human
by Marcia Gruver While teaching a creative writing class, I passed a little card around the room and instructed the students to read aloud the following sentence: Now is the time for all good men to come to the the … Continue reading
Off To A Strong Start
by Maureen Lang Sometimes the place your story starts isn’t always the place to open your novel. There are three choices: •Just Before the major problem/conflict comes up, with a hint of the iceberg ahead. •Just As the conflict arises. … Continue reading
ACFW Rewind: Keeping an Emotional Journal
It’s ACFW Rewind time. Today we’ve picked a blog from May, 2010. Enjoy this post on emotional writing. by Cathy Bryant Emotions. They run the gamut from elation to depression, overwhelming joy to unspeakable sorrow, hatred to love. Need more? … Continue reading
Practice Makes Perfect
by Fay Lamb My son was once an accomplished violinist, but when he first started to play, his tutor, a first string with the local symphony orchestra, struggled with keeping him on task. One day my son Corey walked into … Continue reading
Ten Tips For Better Characterization
by Maureen Lang 1) Realistic, natural dialogue. Like a musician with an ear for notes, be a writer with an ear for conversational rhythm. Read your dialogue aloud to be sure it sounds like what you hear around you-only better! … Continue reading
Conflicted Hearts
by Laurie Alice Eakes Recently, a writer asked why conflict so often seemed to be understood as sniping and snarky comments between the hero and heroine. She knew that conflict had to arise from something more than attitudes verging on … Continue reading
Writing in the Now
by Jill Elizabeth Nelson When teaching the techniques of Deep Point of View that will virtually squash issues with show/don’t tell, I emphasize the importance of writing lively, linear prose. In other words, every sentence must remain in the Now-not … Continue reading
Counting Reasons to Attend Writers’ Conferences
By Becky Jacoby Five years ago, if anyone would have asked me about attending a writers’ conference, I would have advised against it. Even though I dreamed bigger dreams and was working steadily, I thought, “Why spend money to learn … Continue reading
When the Words Won’t Come
by Mary Ellis Every writer whether our contemporaries or long gone has wrestled for hours when they can’t string seven words together into a concise sentence. We doubt ourselves, our mentors, the process we thought we’d perfected, even the quality … Continue reading
A Writer’s Good Friend: Kindle Notes & Highlights
by Robin Lee Hatcher Recently, a number of writer friends have switched from the use of Kindles to the Nook or stated they are thinking of doing so. They’ve had different reasons for buying a new Nook. Always wanting to … Continue reading
Seven Days to Better Writing
by Janice Hanna Thompson What if I told you that your whole life could change in a week? You would sit up and take notice, right? The truth is, it can. If you’re a writer, all you need is one … Continue reading
The ROY G BIV Approach
by Cynthia Ruchti Do they still teach elementary school children the colors of refracted light, rainbow-style, via the ROY G BIV method? Memorizing seven colors in a specific order is tough…until you learn the odd but hard to forget name … Continue reading
