By Patti Richards Music has always been a huge part of my life. Seasons have songs that become my anthem at just the moment I need them. That happened recently with a song called, “Build a Boat,” by Colton Dickson. I was running errands a few weeks back (my daughter got married at the end of October, so there were …
Writing Contests
By Mel Hughes Many people write stories or journal entries that stay in a notebook or occasionally get read to a friend. But authors need to publish in order to get their words out to a wider audience. It’s easier to publish books now than ever before. But how do you get people to read what you wrote? There are …
When You Face Too Many Ways to Open a Novel
By Glynn Young How many openings can a novel have? Let me count the ways. I’d never experienced the problem of too many ways to open a novel. Five novels, and five fairly straightforward beginnings, meant that I never struggled over how to open a story. Somehow, I always knew, and it wasn’t an issue. Until now. I began to …
Scattering the Seed
By Nancy Ellen Hird The Bible calls Satan the accuser of the brethren. And it is true. I’ve heard that sly, nasty voice—many, many times. I’m sure you have too. He wants to throw us off our game. He wants to convince us to leave the field—sit on the bench with our hands folded and our mouths shut. Well, I …
Common Writing Obstacles: TIME
By Henry McLaughlin Over the next few blogs, I’ll be exploring some of the most common obstacles every writer faces at least once in their career. I’ll begin with the obstacle of time. “I think I’ve got a book in me if I could only find the time to write.” We’ve all heard this statement from would-be writers. We’ve probably …
The Benefits of Going Bold (And Putting Fear Behind You)
By Kathy Harris I’m extremely blessed as a writer. There is only one finished manuscript collecting dust under my bed. I wrote it, to the best of my recollection, in about six months. After submitting it—and attending my first ACFW conference—I quickly found out that I had a lot to learn. My second manuscript took six years to complete. Ditto …
God Whispers: From Inspiration to Story
By Patti Richards When someone asks me what inspires me as a children’s author, I think about what pushes me to spend the majority of each day writing. I’ve been a writer for so long now that it really is who I am rather than just what I do; and it is intrinsically woven into my faith. So much so …
The Worst Part of Writing
By Rachel Hauck Yesterday, when I turned in a line edit for The Best Summer of Our Lives, my upcoming 2023 release, I wrote my editor a short note. “These girls and I need a break from each another.” Through fast draft and first edits, I thought this book might be one of the best I’d ever written. But by …
What’s in a Hook?
By Darlene L. Turner A perfect bait increases a fisherman chances of catching a fish. They take their time and ease thatwiggly worm onto the hook before lowering their line into the water. It’s just as important for a writer to do the same with a novel. Forget the worms and the book will fall flat. How can we do …
It’s All About the Shoes
By Gina Detwiler When I was a kid, The Wizard of Oz played once a year on television, an event my family never missed. I could recite every line: “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” “Lions and …