by Deborah Raney One of the hard things a published writer must learn is to toughen up where reviews are concerned. I hate bad reviews, whether from professional critics or ordinary readers on amazon.com. I especially hate them when they aren’t as much about the book, as they are about demeaning an author’s beliefs, religion, ethnicity, or personality. But bad …
Do Yourself a Favor – Follow Through
by Cynthia Ruchti “No more shoulds.” I could feel my eyes widen and my eyebrows creep higher at her no-nonsense statement. She meant all three words. She’d determined to eliminate the word “should” from her vocabulary. No more “I should,” “We should,” “They should,” “You should.” “I’m either going to do it or I’m not,” she vowed. “I either will …
Conference Expectations
by Ian Acheson I waited outside the reception area of the corporate campus waiting for my client to arrive. I was expecting to receive a letter of employment from the CEO that would end my consultant status and see me appointed as a director of the company. We’d been in discussions for six months and all that was required was …
Finish the Book
By Kathleen Y’Barbo Reaching THE END and Pressing SEND at the 2013 ACFW Conference In less than two weeks, conferees will descend on Indianapolis for the 2013 ACFW Conference. Most hope to leave with some measure of success, be it a manuscript requested, an agent interested, or perhaps new friends made. Others hope to learn how to do what they …
Who is That Person Anyway?
by Diana Wallis Taylor My recent book, Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate, came out to good reviews and that of course is encouraging. It also posed some questions, mostly, “How can you take a person who appears in one paragraph in one Gospel and write a whole book about her?” For those of us that write historical fiction, or Biblical …
Overcoming Writing Fears
By Loretta Eidson Pressing the send button for that first submission can be the most nerve-racking, push-of-the-button feat ever tackled. Why? Writing thrusts the writer’s reputation into the world. It shouts from the inner corridors of the heart, “I have something to write about, but will the editor think it is worthwhile?” It unveils a hidden desire to communicate with …
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
By Mary Connealy Fired Up, Book #2 of the Trouble in Texas Series releases in September and I want to talk about how I got the idea for this seris. I have a character in my Kincaid Brides Series, the youngest brother Seth, the hero of Over the Edge, who spent time in Andersonville Prison during the Civil War. So …
Encouragement for the Discouraged
by Lindsay Harrel As most of us know, this writing journey can be filled with a lot of valleys. Experiencing writer’s block. Being stuck at home when everyone else is attending the big conference. Feeling like you’re on the outside of publishing circles. Receiving rejections. Trust me, I’ve been there! But I also was blessed enough to receive some great …
A Sense of Style
by Michelle Arch Anyone who has been engaged in the craft of writing for any length of time has developed a uniquely personal style. During the last several years in Chapman University’s dual Master of Arts in English and MFA in Creative Writing program, my own narrative manner has been described in workshops as meticulous, high, ornamental, tedious, lovely, distracting, …
Lesson Learned
by Lynn Hobbs Humbled to have my work accepted in a writer’s anthology, I dove into the edits they required for my three short stories. No problem with edits. With the third book in my series scheduled for publication later this year, I appreciate and value constructive criticism. I am a firm believer in attending workshops, conferences, and local writer’s …