by Dana Mentink It summer! Best summer treat ever? Extra time to read, read, read! So many books, so little time. How in the world am I to winnow down the possibilities? I’ve got a few personal guidelines that help me determine what I pick up off the bookshelf or download my Kindle. Over the years my rules have changed, …
God’s Creative Call
By Loretta Eidson In The Creative Call by Janice Elsheimer, we are told that God can restore lost dreams. Further reading presents an inspiring, thought-provoking source for resurrecting dormant talent. It encourages us to think back into our childhood and remember the one talent that brought a sparkle to our young eyes. Whether it was playing the piano, becoming an …
Do You Believe in Miracles?
by Harry Kraus A true story: (recounted in J.P. Moreland’s Kingdom Triangle, a report from Paul Eshleman, director of Campus Crusade’s Jesus film project.) In the state of Bihar, India, there is a notoriously anti-Christian tribe called the Malto. When a crew with Campus Crusade’s Jesus film attempted to schedule a showing there in 1998, they were strongly rebuffed. A …
Contests from a Judge’s Perspective
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 …