By Jeannie Campbell, LMFT ACFW Journal Contributing Writer When a characterization trend becomes so dominant it leads to copycat plots, there’s a problem. What trend? That would be the one of the female savior-as referenced in my ACFW Journal article, “Happily Ever After or Ever After Happiness?,” in the Spring 2013 edition. Typically, these characters are the pure, virginal type, …
In the Beginning
by Tina Radcliffe In the beginning, there was the Smith and Corona. That was my beginning. I started out on a portable that I toted to a shady spot under a tree in my backyard. At fourteen, I was thrilled to be able to chronicle my love of romance on the typewritten page. My real love of romance began when …
Going Dark
by Beth Vogt Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer. Not a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher or – like my husband – a spy or an astronaut. So imagine my surprise when I realized that being a writer is, at times, similar to being an astronaut. A writer is like an astronaut because they: • …
The Vulnerable Writer
by Charlotte Snead Writers are a strange lot. We talk about our characters as if they were our friends-and perhaps they are, our best friends. I don’t just sleep with just anyone, and these, my companions, talk to me at night, waking me up, demanding a re-write, more detail, a closer look, another layer. Sometimes they let me off with …
The Poetry of Plots
by Christine Sunderland As Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, they celebrate their own resurrections. They celebrate the ending of their story as human beings. And it is a satisfying ending for each of us. Just so, as I plot my novels, I want my stories to reflect these deeply human realities that are true of all of us, believers …
Motivation-the Foundation of Compelling Characters
By Ane Mulligan For those who have read Debra Dixon’s book GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, I have come to the conclusion that Motivation is the most important. Motivation engages us. We can relate to character motivations. They form the foundation of characters that live on in our minds after the story ends. Motivation leads to character arc. It’s the …
ACFW New Releases: April 2013
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Diamond in the Rough by Jennifer AlLee and Lisa Karon Richardson — Grant Diamond is a professional gambler on the run from his past. When he comes across a wagon wreck, the chance to escape his pursuers is too good a gamble to pass up, …
Mistaken Identity
By Deborah K. Anderson Have you ever discovered that you’re not who you thought you were? I did recently, and let me tell you, it can be a frightening experience. A few years ago, I received an e-mail telling me I was a finalist in a novel competition. Being the optimist that I am, my eyes shifted. Okay, what’s going …
Writing Historical Words
By Jane Kirkpatrick If the novel is set in the early 1800s in New England should a writer use contractions when the speech pattern of the era didn’t? Or rather did not? What about word choice? Should my character say “He lacked drive” or “he lacked ambition?” Which word would resonate with the people of 1821? These are just a …
Dreaming Big!
by Casey Herringshaw Do you have dreams for your writing? Do you take the time to plot out where you’d like to go? And I don’t just mean the New York Times Bestseller list. 😉 Dreams are a good thing. Dreams give you motivation. Goals. Energy. We hear all over the social media internet when a friend or fellow writer …