by Harry Kraus There is a green monster who hides in the closet of every author. I know. I’ve met him. Sometimes he comes out and helps himself to my refrigerator, feeding off the nutrition I choose to feed him. Sometimes he barges his way into the den of my life where I am supposed to be celebrating with friends. …
Quit Clichés Cold Turkey
By Myra Johnson Sitting on the fence about using clichés? Here are 50 reasons to quit cold turkey! Clichés are the bane of a writer’s existence. We’ve all used them, both in our everyday conversations and in our manuscripts. Clichés are comfortable as an old shoe, phrases we use in a heartbeat because the meanings are usually crystal clear. Clichés …
To Write is to be Vulnerable
By Kariss Lynch One of my coworkers likes to say that when God created me and was determining my giftings, He tapped me on the head and said, “Storyteller.” It’s pretty clear that this particular trait manifests itself better on paper than audibly. When the jumbled mess in my head begins to flow onto the page in coherent strands, magic …
When We Write, Who Are We Trying to Please?
by D.L. Koontz “No way. Uh-uh. Nope. Never woulda’ happened.” I raised a skeptical eyebrow at the park ranger who said my Civil War character, Will, a cool hero-type dude, could NOT have been near Burnside Bridge at Antietam Battlefield as part of the Virginia regiment I selected. It was important “Will” be in that regiment because it formed in …
5 things I’ve Learned from (almost) 4 Years of Publishing at Amazon
by Traci Tyne Hilton Since publishing my scrappy little novel about the plucky blonde Realtor back in 2010, I have spent hundreds of hours studying Amazon, what makes it tick, and what makes writers with equal talent have such wildly different experiences. I have a handful of takeaways from my obsession with the Great ‘Zon that are worth looking at, …
Shop Local
By: Suzanne Kuhn, SuzyQ Shop local? It’s a concept many of us embrace, especially surrounding the holidays. It should be a lifestyle choice for all authors, regardless of season. For many authors it’s their dream to one day see their book on the shelves of bookstores far and wide. Although this is an understandable desire, it’s one that requires a …
Natural Imagery
by Elizabeth Musser “The best images come unbidden”-so said my high school English teacher after reading my first novel years ago. While kindly complimenting me on many aspects of the story, he pointed out that at times I ‘beat the reader over the head’ with imagery or symbolism, saying effectively “Don’t ya get it? Isn’t that cool?” His advice? Trust …
The Worst Publishing Advice Ever
by Tamera Alexander When I became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in 2001 (or actually, American Christian Romance Writers back then), I joined this fabulous organization knowing little more than that I loved story and I wanted to learn how to write. Since then, God has brought many incredibly gifted people into my life who have graciously helped …
No More Sagging Middle!
by Denise Hunter It’s no secret to my writer friends that my least favorite part of writing happens during the middle of the book. They don’t call it the sagging middle for nothing, folks. If you’re not really careful, that baby will sag so low you’ll be tempted to Select All and Delete. Or at the very least, whine to …
Praying for Our Readers
by Cheryl Wyatt I recently saw the film Son of God, produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. One scene spoke to me with regard to praying for readers. I once asked God the best way to reach readers. His encouragement was, “just love them.” One way to do that is pray for them. In the film, a scene depicts …