By Victoria Bylin I write historical romance, so I’m often asked about research. Do I like it? Do I prefer the internet or real libraries? Do I research and then write, or research on the fly? What mistakes should a new author avoid? All those questions are important, but today I want to look at a different kind of research. …
Pitch Sessions: An Editor’s POV
by Ramona Richards Abingdon Press Sue Brower had some terrific advice last week about preparing for a writers conference, especially ACFW. One piece of advice she gave made me want to give her a cheer: • DON’T go to editor and agent appointments unprepared. Now…that may sound like common sense for most of you, but I thought I’d share a …
Pitching in those Agent/Editor Appointments
by Rachelle Gardner Books & Such Literary Agency One thing I’ve noticed lately in fiction pitches – verbal pitches or queries – is that some writers want to tell all about the theme or the emotional journey of the story, but they have a hard time conveying the actual story. Every novel has a theme. There’s a character arc, in …
Book Review: The Homesteader’s Sweetheart
Title: The Homesteader’s Sweetheart Author: Lacy Williams Publisher: Love Inspired Historicals Date: May 2012 ASIN: B007BBVDJS Genre: Historical Romance Reviewed by: Cara Putman The Homesteader’s Sweetheart, the latest Love Inspired Historical novel from Lacy Williams, is a sweet story connecting an outsider homesteader with the beautiful banker’s daughter. Unbeknownst to her, their lives had intersected years earlier in Philadelphia, but …
CAUTION: Beautiful Experiences Ahead
by Lacie Nezbeth My family and I recently returned from a week long camping trip up the Oregon coast. Four miles from where our lush campground sits, there is a great lookout point for viewing sea lions that gather to sunbathe on the many rocks jutting out from the surf. We knew immediately that we wanted to make the hike. …
5 Spiritual Disciplines for Writers
by Carrie Fancett Pagels Disciplines we shouldn’t skip: 1) Time in the Word. When your bible bookmark hasn’t moved in weeks-there is a problem. You must know the truth found in God’s word. Bottom line fundamental fact. 2) Prayer. What a joy and privilege it is to pray for the saints. And to pray for the unsaved that they might …
When They Say No
by Catherine West When my agent, Rachelle Gardner, offered me representation, I had just completed a manuscript called Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Rachelle liked it because it was ‘different’. I agreed. I certainly hadn’t seen any books about a female journalist who travels to Vietnam during wartime. Not in CBA anyway. I was ecstatic to finally have an agent who believed in …
Talk Your Way Out of a Jam!
by Bonnie S. Calhoun Have you heard novelists say their story was bogged down by inactivity, or that they felt lost in a long drawn out narrative? Well never fear! I have a totally sharp solution…conversation. That’s write (right). Dialogue is considered to be an action element. It can move any plodding exposé into the realm of frantic excitement, or …
The Writers Conference – Make it a Life-Changing Event!
by Sue Brower Zondervan, Inc. I have just returned from a great week at Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference. Alton Gansky and his team provided an experience that I know changed the lives of many writers. We had writers from beginners to bestsellers, those that write 500 word blogs to those that write 100,000 word novels. What we all had …
Book Review: “Replication”
Title: Replication: The Jason Experiment Author: Jill Williamson Publisher: Zonderkids Date: December 2011 ISBN: 978-0310727583 Genre: YA Reviewed by: Lisa J. Lickel In Fishhook, Alaska, Jason Farms doesn’t grow your typical crops. Seventeen-year-old Abby Goyer is half-orphaned; though with a dad whose work consumes him after the death of Abby’s mom, and she feels truly alone. A sudden move from …