by Sherri Stone I have been a life-long dieter. Actually, a more appropriate way to say that is that I’ve been a life-long thinker about diets and losing weight. You know the syndrome: • First resolution every New Year is to lose weight • The resolve to eat less and eat healthy is never stronger than immediately following a pig …
Why Fiction?
by DiAnn Mills Christian writers are often posed the questions: “Why fiction when you could be writing nonfiction?” “If you feel writing is a ministry, a calling from God, then why are you putting your time and effort into story?” “A real Christian would be writing something with real sustenance, not fiction.” I used to swallow my displeasure with those …
Reviewing the Review
By Cynthia Ruchti Why do people write reviews? • They want to help spread the word about a great book. • They have been asked to give an honest review about a new book by the publishing house or publicist, the author, or the review team on which they serve. • They feel compelled to warn potential readers about a …
Have You Considered a Launch Team?
by Ian Acheson Over the last two years there has been an increase in authors establishing teams of readers, or a Launch Team, to assist in the launch process. I’ve been a member of a few such teams for authors in both the fiction and non-fiction worlds. Some teams have ended with the launch and others have continued on to …
Christianity’s Greatest Ally…Science??
by Jim O’Shea From particle physics, to evolutionary science, cosmology, and quantum mechanics, science continues to lend credence to the Bible account of creation and the universe we live in. Archaeology has also done its part as well over the past few centuries by uncovering proof of people and places previously long thought to fables by biblical writers. Examples of …
Movies That Inspired Me
by Ruth A. Douthitt I grew up in the 1970s as a “child of the television age”. Most families had more than one TV set in the house and had it turned on all day long…even during dinner! I grew up during the summer of blockbusters, a term created after the movie JAWS set box office records that summer of …
Purpose in Pain
by Jennifer Sienes I lack imagination. A bold confession for a writer, wouldn’t you say? It’s true. That’s why I don’t do fantasy-don’t write it, read it, or watch it. “What do you mean you’ve never seen Lord of the Rings?” my husband of seven years asked me. “But you’ve read the trilogy, right?” Sorry to disappoint. But, no. I’ve …
GMC. And the greatest of these is: Conflict
by Maureen Lang There have been countless books, blogs and workshops devoted to the topic of conflict, mainly because of the three biggies in fiction writing, Goal, Motivation and Conflict, the greatest of these is conflict. Without conflict, the goals of your character would come too easily, with or without proper motivation. And then where would your story be? Over …
Writing Advice in Old Fashioned Dishwashing
by Tamara D. Fickas Today my sweet grandmother is having a birthday. Grandma is an amazing woman. Early in life, she married a farming man, and together they raised thirteen children in a three-bedroom farmhouse. Life wasn’t easy for them and with that many kids, money was always tight, but they made the best of everything. They didn’t have all …
Ten Reasons Why You Should Attend ACFW’s National Conference
by Pam Meyers Since ACFW’s first national conference 2002 in Kansas City, MO, I have not missed one conference. I’ve watched it start out in a Kansas City hotel with 100 attendees (including the presenters) to well over 600 attendees today. Why do I like the ACFW conference so much? Here are ten reasons-although I could go on longer. 1. …