by Becky Wade 1) Let every critique you receive sway you. Ever hear that “too many cooks spoil the broth”? Sometimes it’s better to whip up something all by yourself that you absolutely LOVE than to let lots of “adviser cooks” taste your recipe, comment on it, alter it, season it, and subdue it. 2) Write Safe. If you’re working …
Promises and Delays
by Robin Lee Hatcher Not every published writer’s path to a career as a novelist is the same. My path to writing Christian fiction took me through a career in the general romance market (30 books) before God captured my attention and turned me in a new direction. Turned me on my head might be a better description. The one …
Unexpected Blessings
by Kathi Macias God never ceases to amaze me. It’s stunning enough to realize that He uses frail, fallible human beings (like you and me!) to partner with Him in ministry, but even more humbling to discover how great His plans are for the work He calls us to do. Though I’ve seen this truth played out many times over …
Say Goodnight, Gracie: Seven Secrets to creating the Perfect Ending
by Janice Thompson There’s nothing worse than a book with an unsatisfying ending. The reader deserves a solid wrap-up. Otherwise, he’ll feel cheated. (After all, he plowed through 300+ pages of your book, assuming the ending would leave him satisfied!) Knowing how and when to conclude your story is key. It’s also an art-form. With that in mind, I’ve come …
The Art of Being Flexible
by Janet Lee Barton Oh, you may be finished with the manuscript-as it is right now. You may have gone over it multiple times-had critique partners, family and/or friends read through it several times, too. Then you send it out. But it still doesn’t mean you’re finished. You may have an agent or publisher interested in it, and even get …
In Loving Memory: Elizabeth Geiser
by Katie Bond HarperCollins Christian Publishing Over the next two months, in Colorado, Florida, and New York, three memorial services will be held for one very special woman who passed away October 8, 2012. The Denver Post called Elizabeth Geiser an “industry legend” and a “dynamo whose life revolved around books.” It’s true: her contributions to publishing are undeniable. But …
Frequent Questions Answered, Part 2
by Mary Sue Seymour The Seymour Agency Mary Sue Seymour is back again today answering more questions. Do you represent any projects currently that are unusual or different? I am circulating NY Times best-selling author Cec Murphey’s Slow Death in Muma which is a murder mystery. I don’t usually handle this genre, but I couldn’t put Cec’s book down. Also, …
Frequent Questions Answered, Part 1
by Mary Sue Seymour The Seymour Agency I love to participate in writing conferences where I enjoy presenting workshops, meeting with writers about their books, and speaking on panels. My current blog consists of questions asked of me while sitting on panels at recent conferences along with my responses. How did you become an agent? I grew up one of …
The Hope of Your Calling
by Nikki Arana There is a ritual that I observe every morning that is my way of inviting God to speak to me. I reach for my Bible next to my bed and open it. I read the random page that I find myself looking at. Recently it was in Ephesians 4. I began to read – There is one …
Slaying the Green, Two-headed Monster
by Mary Ellis Jealousy and envy-God gave His people specific instructions in the Tenth Commandment: Thou shalt not covet. But we as Christians know this goes far beyond our neighbor’s ox or donkey, and thus becomes the hardest law to keep. Human beings are naturally wired to be envious. We spend much of our lives secretly jealous of something. As …