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 …
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 …
When God Tells Us ‘Wait’
by Casey Herringshaw “Oh, but God, why?” Not able to attend the conference. The perfect agent or editor says no. The mentorship we crave is nowhere within reach. “But God, I’m there. Can’t You see I’m ready?” Um…would you be where you are right now, if you were “ready”? We all have such a pre-conceived idea of what ready means. …
Six Lessons The Casual Vacancy Teaches Authors
by Jordyn Redwood If you are reading this post and unaware, the novel The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s foray into the realm outside of Harry Potter-the YA series that made her a billionaire-literally. First of all, I did read all of the Harry Potter books. I didn’t enjoy the last few as much as I enjoyed the first few. …
A Calling or an Offering
by Terry Burns Some will not agree with me on this, and that is surely okay, but I know a lot of Christian writers think all Christian writers have been called by God to write. I don’t believe that, any more than I believe everyone who has thought about preaching has been called by God to the ministry, or called …