by Ane Mulligan What makes a fictional character believable? It’s how real they are. Does the writing pull you, the reader, into the story enough for you to experience it? Do you feel like you’re part of it? That this character is your friend? That comes a lot from deep POV. And to get deep, you have to know the …
One Message – Many Stories
by Lillian Duncan Writing Stories of Faith…Mingled With Murder And Mayhem is the tagline on my email signature and my website. I like it, but when I tell people I write murder mysteries and suspense that are Christian Fiction, I often get a blank stare or one of disbelief. After all, how can a book where murders, mayhem, and bad …
Keeping Our Focus
by Janet Lee Barton April 2005 we got news that was the beginning of a very hard year’s time for my family. We found out my brother-in-law had stage 4 cancer in both lungs that month. He declined treatment. In June, one of my best friends passed away from cancer and by the end of the month, my brother-in-law passed …
The Blessing of Using Beta Readers
by Keisha Gilchrist-Broomes You don’t know what you don’t know. Motivational speaker Les Brown teaches that truth-filled statement in several of his spirited talks. I had never considered what it might mean for my own work until I crept closer to writing “The End” on the fourth draft of my novel. By the time I reached the end of my …
Deadlines: The Good, the Bad, and the Divine
By Kathy Harris What better time to talk about deadlines than during the holidays? In contemporary society our lives are fret with hurry most every day. But this time of year compounds those commitments, from holiday parties to shopping for gifts to end-of-the-year work and/or school obligations-not to mention the added expectations and desires to spend time with our families. …
Romance, Suspense or is it Romantic Suspense?
by Susan Sleeman Over the years I’ve had plenty of conversations about romantic suspense and lately I’ve had a lot of writers ask how they can know for sure if their work in progress is a suspense novel or a romantic suspense novel. So I thought I’d answer that question here and in my next few posts provide a few …
Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
By Deborah K. Anderson Are you discouraged with your writing? Does it feel as though you’re climbing an endless ladder, trying to break your way into this industry? Does loneliness overwhelm you? If you’re experiencing any of the above, I have good news for you. You are not alone. A man named Jacob endured similar situations. “And he lighted upon …
The Passion in Our Stories
By Margaret Daley Why should you be passionate about what you write? People tell you when you start writing you need to write about what you know–or if not you’d better do a lot of research to familiarize yourself with the subject. I agree, but I would take it a step further. You need to be passionate about what you …
Transition
Transition for a full-time freelancer – I didn’t know I was ready – Are you? When my wife accepted a job transfer to Colorado, it was our opportunity to realize a lifelong dream. We have wanted to move to this area of the country for many years. However, she had a job in order to make the transition but I …
A Different Approach
by Dani Pettrey “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 God’s Word is replete with wisdom and this verse is no exception. As writers we have the privilege of coming into contact with a vast number of people and I’d like to …