By Nancy Ellen Hird The Bible calls Satan the accuser of the brethren. And it is true. I’ve heard that sly, nasty voice—many, many times. I’m sure you have too. He wants to throw us off our game. He wants to convince us to leave the field—sit on the bench with our hands folded and our mouths shut. Well, I …
Common Writing Obstacles: TIME
By Henry McLaughlin Over the next few blogs, I’ll be exploring some of the most common obstacles every writer faces at least once in their career. I’ll begin with the obstacle of time. “I think I’ve got a book in me if I could only find the time to write.” We’ve all heard this statement from would-be writers. We’ve probably …
The Benefits of Going Bold (And Putting Fear Behind You)
By Kathy Harris I’m extremely blessed as a writer. There is only one finished manuscript collecting dust under my bed. I wrote it, to the best of my recollection, in about six months. After submitting it—and attending my first ACFW conference—I quickly found out that I had a lot to learn. My second manuscript took six years to complete. Ditto …
November 2022 New Releases
November 2022 New Releases More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham — Dear Reader, My name is Isabelle Louisa Edgewood—Izzy, for short. I live by blue-tinted mountains, where I find contentment in fresh air and books. Oh, and coffee and tea, of course. And occasionally …
God Whispers: From Inspiration to Story
By Patti Richards When someone asks me what inspires me as a children’s author, I think about what pushes me to spend the majority of each day writing. I’ve been a writer for so long now that it really is who I am rather than just what I do; and it is intrinsically woven into my faith. So much so …
The Worst Part of Writing
By Rachel Hauck Yesterday, when I turned in a line edit for The Best Summer of Our Lives, my upcoming 2023 release, I wrote my editor a short note. “These girls and I need a break from each another.” Through fast draft and first edits, I thought this book might be one of the best I’d ever written. But by …
What’s in a Hook?
By Darlene L. Turner A perfect bait increases a fisherman chances of catching a fish. They take their time and ease thatwiggly worm onto the hook before lowering their line into the water. It’s just as important for a writer to do the same with a novel. Forget the worms and the book will fall flat. How can we do …
It’s All About the Shoes
By Gina Detwiler When I was a kid, The Wizard of Oz played once a year on television, an event my family never missed. I could recite every line: “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” “Lions and …
Pitch It!
By Ginny L. Yttrup DEFINE IT! HOOK & PITCH HOOK For fiction, your hook is the conflict or questions you craft that compel the reader to seek resolution or answers. PITCH A pitch is the honed, abbreviated version of the longer hook. Your pitch is used for marketing purposes or to sell a book to an agent, editor, or reader. …
How to Time Travel for Research
By Barbara M. Britton When I asked my local ACFW chapter what they would like me to write about for this blog, one member wanted to know how I organized my research. I don’t organize my research well, but I have found facts and information that make me an expert on a specific time and place. How was I going …