by Chip MacGregor MacGregor Literary Inc. www.chipmacgregor.com I’m often asked by writers how they can make a living with their work – and I usually explain to them that, when you look at writers who are making a living at the craft, you find they come in two basic types: TYPE 1 is the writer who writes all sorts of …
Peace and Safety Fear and Conflict
by Davalynn Spencer Okay, I admit it. I talk to my characters. Sort of. Basically, they let me peek into their lives and see what they’re up to. I’m glad they trust me that much, because how else could I accurately tell their story? However, we don’t always see eye to eye. For example, I recently stood at the top …
Five Steps to Managing Writer Meltdowns
by Lisa Jordan I chatted with a friend the other night and confessed I had a blog post due for ACFW, but I was struggling for a topic. She suggested I write about what was going on currently in my writing world-after all, maybe someone was having a similar issue. I mentioned my writing avoidance tendencies due to my fears …
Be Brave. Go Write.
by Crystal Laine Miller What do you do with your time? “I work, eat, sleep, clean, drive, talk, cook, shop, groom, feed the dog/cat/horse/kids/spouse, eat (oh, wait, I said that,)” ….what else? I read. I write. Sounds simple, hey? Yeah, simple as opening a vein. We know that cliché. I’ve heard my fellow writers complain how real world people don’t …
The Naming Game
by Sarah Sundin Most authors love the process of finding the perfect character name, but it can also cause headaches. When writing my newest World War II novel, With Every Letter (Revell, September 2012), I took many things into consideration when naming my characters. Does it fit the character? Sometimes the character’s name comes immediately, but other times I search …
Graduation Day
by Lillian Duncan Randy Ingermanson likens fiction writing to high school. He talks about freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior writers and then there’s graduation day–becoming a published author! How does a writer reach graduation day? There are, of course, different routes to get there-more so now than ever before. This is not discussion on traditional vs. indie publishing. I believe …
Encouragement for Writers
by Nikki Arana If you are struggling with your writing, continue reading . . . People are always surprised to learn that I have sold everything I ever sent out. From that first magazine article in 2003 for Writers Digest, to my current novel, The Next Target. Yes, God was blessing my socks off and assuring me that He had …
Focus Your Premise
What’s at stake? What’s the story question? by Rachel Hauck Premise Every story needs a basic start: a premise. It’s the foundation for your idea. The premise defines what’s at stake? What the story is about? “What will the protagonist overcome to achieve her goal?” A great premise is the “hook” that grabs the attention of an editor, agent or …
The Story is in the Details
By Margaret Daley We all know that character and plot are important elements to writing, but I’m here to remind you of the importance of the details in your story. I had a friend tell me she sent out her book for endorsements. When one endorser emailed her with her endorsement (a good one), she casually asked my friend what …
Energy…the better-than-caffeine kind
by Melissa Tagg Marketing. I think a lot of writers hear the word and do a little scary-movie shudder. Or maybe a full-on horror-flick scream. Me, not so much because a) I’m more of a nervous laugher than screamer and b) I happen to work in marketing at a good-sized nonprofit. And I’ve realized something in the past few years. …