by Ane Mulligan Years ago when I first started writing, I wrote short drama sketches for my church. The first one got published and every one after that. Then I turned my hand to novels. After a few months and 125,000 words, I found an online critique group. When I received my first critique, I discovered I knew nothing but …
Perseverance Pays Off
by Deborah Lynne I started to title this ‘Persevere Until The End,’ but then I thought…NO. It isn’t the end-it’s the beginning of a new world for you the writer, the author, the published novelist. That was my dream twenty-seven years ago. Some people are blessed with their first manuscript becoming an over-night success. I wasn’t one of those. If …
Deepening Point Of View – Cheat Sheet
By Loretta Eidson Learning new words in the writing world has its challenges, but capturing the meanings and applying them can be a difficult task. My mental dictionary sent scrambled definitions through the memory chambers of my mind as I struggled to understand. Deepening point of view (POV) was mind-boggling. What did it really mean? In DiAnn Mills new release …
Making Memories
by Dani Pettrey My daughter got married last weekend. It’s hard to believe my baby girl is all grown up and now a wife of her own. My husband is a wedding photographer and was able to capture this gorgeous moment. It was a day of enjoying, making and capturing memories. And, it got me thinking. Isn’t that what we …
Truth Stranger Than Fiction
by Martha Rogers Today, my husband and I are celebrating fifty-four years of marriage after knowing each other for about six months. We had a total of six dates in the four weeks I knew him before he left for boot camp. We were engaged a few days after my birthday while he was here on leave for five days. …
I Went To A Funeral Today
by Beth Shriver I’m using this example because the departed would want me to, he was just that kind of a guy. Although he didn’t grow up in the Amish community his grandfather did and all of the relatives before him. His last name was Yoder so I knew he had Amish roots. When I first started writing Amish he …
Be a Superhero: Write a Novel in a Month
by Susan May Warren “NaNoWriMo? National Novel Writing Month? Oh please, don’t ask me to write a novel in a month. I’m sorry, it’s just too overwhelming.” My friend and aspiring writer mentee, Sally, took a sip of her mint dark chocolate cocoa, looking at me as if I’d asked her to run a marathon. Tomorrow. “No. Forget it. You’d …
Writing A Novel Series
by Gail Gaymer Martin I’ve enjoyed writing novels in a series, because the advantage is: 1) each story creates fodder to build the next novel and 2) editors like to contract a series because they interest readers. A series demands an author to keep good records of details woven through the novels, especially with a large cast of characters. I …
Writing is a Passion
by Mary Ann Kerr Writing has become a passion and I can’t seem to stop! As the leaves turn to vibrant colors and the air begins to chill, our thoughts turn towards harvest and thanksgiving for God’s bountiful provisions. We are reminded, by creation, of God’s infinite love, a love so great that God sent His son to earth to …
Are You Bridging the Gap?
by Suzanne Kuhn Do you feel as if you are a public figure? Some are nodding “yes”, while others are shaking their heads adamantly “no”. Regardless of how you responded, reality is that when you answered the call and made the commitment to pursue writing, you became a public figure. In doing so you took on the mantle of writer …