The Fragrance of Fiction

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW Leave a Comment

By Carol Lerner I’ve been reading all kinds of fiction lately. This is a good thing, as for years I’ve had difficulty finding fiction that kept my interest. I’ve finally figured out what makes me stick with a story-it’s the overall aura, the “feeling” the words evoke, or, as I like to say, the fragrance. It’s that which moves something …

Three Magic Phrases for a Writer

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing Leave a Comment

by Richard Mabry Early in my road to writing, author and teacher Alton Gansky taught me to ask a magic question: “What if?” One of his books began when he noted the presence of a military installation in a deserted location and asked himself, “What if that base suddenly disappeared?” The result was an excellent book. And it began with …

Demystifying Contest Scores

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Contests, Friends of ACFW Leave a Comment

By Lisa Godfrees We’re writers. At some point in our careers, we entered a writing contest. Some of us found encouragement there. Maybe we received kind remarks from a judge that gave us courage to continue. Maybe we semi-finaled, finaled, or won. Maybe an agent contacted us because they were impressed with our entry. Some of us came away discouraged. …