by Kathy Harris A familiar feeling nagged as I walked out of my office one recent Friday afternoon. I was late, as usual, and I hadn’t accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish that week. An important work project still languished, half-finished, on my desk. A blog post was imminently due. And I desperately needed to finish the edit of my …
What’s Your Biggest Struggle as a Writer?
By Henry McLaughlin This is a question with as many possible answers as there are writers. Some struggle with finding time to write. Some with aspects of the craft like dialogue or characterization. For others it might be show, don’t tell. And what on God’s green planet is the difference between lie and lay? My biggest struggle right now is …
Sharpening Your Ax
By Donna L.H. Smith I heard a story by a former pastor many years ago. It’s a somewhat familiar tale, and you’ve probably heard it before. Two woodsmen start chopping trees into firewood. After a couple hours or so, the first woodsman stops and takes a break, while the second woodsman continues to chop. They chop wood all day. About …
That One Time My Writer Brain Caused a Hiccup on a Date
By Kariss Lynch So we planned a lazy Sunday afternoon date with Netflix and quiet conversation. He scrolled through our options, interested in a documentary. As titles moved past, I noticed a low-rated show that blew my mind – Wife Swap. “Who would do that?” He shrugged and kept scrolling. “I honestly have no idea how anyone could do that.” …
Writing When There are so Many Books
By Rondi Olson Most people are encouraging when I tell them I am a writer, and that my debut novel is about to be released. Often they congratulate me, and some have assured me they will look for my book when it comes out. A few others have been less generous. “People need to stop writing books,” one lady told …
New Genre Delights
By Ian Acheson Contest season is very much upon us and the majority of my fiction reading for the next six months will be consumed by judging entries in various competitions both local and abroad. One of the reasons I especially love judging is I get “forced” to read stories that I wouldn’t normally read. I typically judge speculative fiction …
Audiences and Communities
By Glynn Young Do you write for an audience? I don’t. Most of my career in communications focused on writing for an audience. It might be people listening to a speech; it might be people reading a magazine article or a newspaper story. The audience might be people (sometimes angry) assembled for a town hall meeting. Or company employees. The …
The Reluctant Blogger
By JPC Allen Last summer as I prepared for my first ACFW conference, I couldn’t have been more depressed about my chances of finding an agent. I had registered for the conference with high hopes because I was a semi-finalist in the YA category of the 2016 Genesis contest. Then I did my research and discovered the 21st century definition …
Brave the Blizzard
By Chandra Smith I write this post on March 14, and, here in south central Pennsylvania, we have a blizzard. One of my critique partners suggested this storm is my fault because last week I put the finishing touches on a novella where the bleak moments take place during a blizzard. Perhaps I should go outside and act out parts …
Eureka! Finding Gold in Research
By Michelle Shocklee Writing historical fiction is a lot like digging for gold. No matter the era and setting an author chooses, enormous mountains of historical data loom over us, daring us to find those interesting nuggets and minute details that make a book sing. The task can seem daunting, discouraging, and downright impossible at times. We know there is …