by Lisa Jordan Rejection, though undeniably painful, does not have to hold us back from accomplishing what God wants us to do. ~Jennifer Benson Shuldt After entering one of my first writing contests, I was determined never to enter another. After all, my low scores attested to judges’ inabilities to recognize talent, right? Uh huh… Actually my own inflated view …
Suspension of Disbelief: A Writer’s Goal
By Ane Mulligan Jim Rubart wrote a good piece for Novel Rocket about how authors write. He said: “I continue to read traditionally published books where I think the novelist is wasting words and keeping the reader from going deeper into the POV of the protagonist. Here’s what I mean: I frequently see sentences such as this: ‘He could hear …
The Power of Opposites
by Allie Pleiter The best romances usually pair two people who don’t seem suited for each other. Engaged readers figure out that a hero and heroine are surprisingly perfect for each other-long before the characters do if I’ve done my job right. It’s great fun to watch a heroine realize that the oh-so-irritating fellow in her life is actually the …
Learning From Other Authors’ Strengths
by Lindsay Harrel Comparison. It’s the big no-no word in the writing world, isn’t it? We’re always being told – and probably telling others – that we shouldn’t compare our writing to that of anyone else. It makes sense. After all, we each have a unique voice, and I’m bound to tell a story differently than you would. But what …
ACFW New Releases – June 2014
June 2014 New Releases More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Contemporary: All Right Here by Carre Armstrong Gardner — Ivy Darling can’t have children of her own, and her husband Nick’s resentment is forcing them apart. And while Ivy has the support and love of her large, close-knit family, Nick’s family …
Why I Write About Demons
by Bruce Hennigan I am amazed at times by friends who think that I am somehow in league with Satan because I write novels about demons. Nothing could be farther from the truth. So, why do I write about demons? Because I have stared the enemy in the its face and I will not back down again! My first encounter …
ACFW Rewind: Praying through the Burnout
(Editor’s Note: Today, ACFW re-runs a worthwhile blog from the past, in this case from December 2013, in what we call ACFW Rewind, which highlights previous posts that deserve a second look.) by Casey Herringshaw Every writer, at some point, during their novel-creation career will most likely experience some period of burnout. It creeps up like a naughty third-wheel cousin …
Relying on the Reliable Narrator
by Christine Sunderland World War I (“the war to end all wars”), begun a century ago, seeded an era of cynicism, doubt that “civilization” was possible, that the savage beast could be tamed. England lost one third of their best and brightest young men. Despair and disbelief filled those who were left, a despair reflected in the arts and letters …
Big Dreams
by Henry McLaughlin At one time or another, we’ve all had big dreams. When I was a kid, my dream was to play Major League Baseball. But I stopped growing and my bat never could figure out how to hit a curveball. As we grow up, our dreams change but they’re still big: the right job, the perfect spouse, the …
Writing Fiction, Sorting Out the Facts
by Rebecca DeMarino A challenge to writing fiction based on the lives of real people and events can be daunting, but not impossible. When it is set in a historical time period, sorting out the facts from lore, stereotypes and misconceptions can make it tricky (or sticky) however. I had concerns about writing a novel based on the real lives …