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
Keeping the Reader in Mind
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, Plots, writing
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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
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing
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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
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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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On the Road to Publication Be Sure to Pack A Lot of Patience!
by Pamela S. Meyers I’ve always dreamed of writing a story set in my picturesque hometown, and God surely blessed me when I was given the opportunity to do so by Summerside Press. This past weekend I launched my novel … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, Publishing, tips, writing
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Back Story vs Character History, Part Two
by Rachel Hauck Welcome back. Yesterday we discussed the differences between character history and back story. Today, let’s learn more about character history and how to use it to strengthen your writing. Like I said yesterday, Character History is hot, … Continue reading
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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
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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
Posted in Advice, Conference, Encouragement, Fellowship, Friends of ACFW, tips
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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
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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
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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
Posted in ACFW Rewind, Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing
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