By Jerri Kelley For weeks now I have been trying to write this blog. I have sat at my computer, tapped keys, erased words, left with nothing done. Prayed some more only to hear quiet. It is a privilege to write for each of you, and I want to offer you something worth reading, and instead, I have nothing. Maybe …
When Your Manuscript is Problematic
By Glynn Young I knew the manuscript would be tricky. The story is about what flows from a hoax. The hoax itself occupies a tiny part of the story; the ramifications are the story. But I knew this would not be an easy road, especially in today’s cultural climate. I anticipated I would be paddling a canoe against a raging …
What’s in a Name?
By Terri Gillespie A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, and grace rather than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1, TLV When people hear our name, what do they think? We may want people to think of what we have published or written, but that’s only a small part of who we are. What about our ancestors? …
The Power of a Writing Partnership: Part I
By Frank A. DiBianca Whether one is a beginner, a recently contracted novelist (like yours truly), or a seasoned, book-a-year pro, it’s hard to overstate the importance of having a writing partnership. A look at my own writing partnership may be illustrative. Now, I’m not speaking about professional (i.e., paid) services, which are unquestionably valuable and indeed indispensable. I mean …
Freeing Righteousness
By Christine Sunderland My latest novel, Angel Mountain (Wipf and Stock, 2020), calls each of the four main characters to seek meaning in their lives. It says despair not, for your Creator loves you. Despair not, for the law of love will free you. Despair not, for angels of righteousness are on the mountain and in the caverns, lighting the …
Famous First Words: The Power of the Opening Sentence
By Tara Johnson “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” ~ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Lewis, 1952) There’s nothing that sets mood, reveals character, raises intrigue and invites readers into your story like a power-packed opening. When I was editing my latest release All Through the Night, I studied the first chapter, sensing …
It’s All About Perspective
by Katie Powner As an author, I spend a lot of hours on writing-related endeavors. And I do mean A LOT. Not only working on stories—brainstorming, outlining, researching, drafting, editing, REPEAT—but also on social media, marketing, interviews, newsletters, and other similar activities. I can start to think that’s all pretty darn important some days. Pretty darn…real. But then a day …
Research Blahs
by Darlene L. Turner Research—a chore or fun? Doesn’t matter the genre. Every writer has to do some sort of investigation in order to get facts straight and make their stories authentic. Some writers love research while others get the blahs when it comes to this aspect of the process. Why? The number one reason is probably because it takes …
Don’t Quit Your Day Job – Some Ideas to Write Around Real Life
by Tammie Fickas Ah, the life of a writer! You get to sleep in, enjoy your morning coffee on the back deck, spend a few hours at your desk, and boom, you have success. It’s enough to make a girl quit her day job and call herself a writer. Okay, before you stop reading, we all know it doesn’t work …
Are We Taking Our Medicine?
By Terri Gillespie TODAY’S PROVERB: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22, TLV A cheerful heart . . . What cheers us? Good news? A baby’s smile? A parking space close to the entrance? A beautiful sunrise? Getting what we want? These moments can be like doses of a spiritual elixir …