by Janet Chester Bly Most of Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot, happens in or near Gearhart, Oregon in 1905. The railroad opened up more tourists for this seacoast village, tucked between crashing surf and Pacific forests. One of its most prominent citizens, Narcissa Kinney, insisted that the city council proclaim this a ‘dry town,’ which it remained for more than seventy …
When In Doubt…Smile!
By Tina Radcliffe More often than not you’re going to run into obstacles on this writing journey. Those moments when you feel overwhelmed seem to appear out of nowhere, just when you thought you had everything mapped out. Obstacles can be anything from time issues, looming contractual deadlines, massive revisions, plot holes, self-doubt, writer’s block, life crisis versus writing or …
Let’s Get Emotional
By Margaret Brownley Think back to your earliest childhood memory. You were probably three, four or perhaps even five at the time. Now think about how you felt. You might have been scared or hurt. Perhaps you felt giddy with joy or maybe even lonely and confused. Whatever the emotion, it was strong enough to make a deep and lasting …
The Good, The Bad, and the Gutless
by DiAnn Mills You’re an excellent writer. You’ve spent hours developing your character, but something’s missing. Frustration is eating a hole into your creativity because your character is too proud to admit he might not be perfect. You have: •Researched your character’s personality. •Interviewed him and asked tough questions. •Developed a unique voice and dialogue. •Established a setting that promises …
Making a Living as a Writer
by Chip MacGregor MacGregor Literary Inc. www.chipmacgregor.com I’m often asked by writers how they can make a living with their work – and I usually explain to them that, when you look at writers who are making a living at the craft, you find they come in two basic types: TYPE 1 is the writer who writes all sorts of …
Peace and Safety Fear and Conflict
by Davalynn Spencer Okay, I admit it. I talk to my characters. Sort of. Basically, they let me peek into their lives and see what they’re up to. I’m glad they trust me that much, because how else could I accurately tell their story? However, we don’t always see eye to eye. For example, I recently stood at the top …
Five Steps to Managing Writer Meltdowns
by Lisa Jordan I chatted with a friend the other night and confessed I had a blog post due for ACFW, but I was struggling for a topic. She suggested I write about what was going on currently in my writing world-after all, maybe someone was having a similar issue. I mentioned my writing avoidance tendencies due to my fears …
Be Brave. Go Write.
by Crystal Laine Miller What do you do with your time? “I work, eat, sleep, clean, drive, talk, cook, shop, groom, feed the dog/cat/horse/kids/spouse, eat (oh, wait, I said that,)” ….what else? I read. I write. Sounds simple, hey? Yeah, simple as opening a vein. We know that cliché. I’ve heard my fellow writers complain how real world people don’t …
The Naming Game
by Sarah Sundin Most authors love the process of finding the perfect character name, but it can also cause headaches. When writing my newest World War II novel, With Every Letter (Revell, September 2012), I took many things into consideration when naming my characters. Does it fit the character? Sometimes the character’s name comes immediately, but other times I search …
Graduation Day
by Lillian Duncan Randy Ingermanson likens fiction writing to high school. He talks about freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior writers and then there’s graduation day–becoming a published author! How does a writer reach graduation day? There are, of course, different routes to get there-more so now than ever before. This is not discussion on traditional vs. indie publishing. I believe …