By Donna Wichelman The writing life can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. Most of us who’ve been writing for any length of time know the discouragement that comes from any number of places as we seek to put words on a page that mean something—anything—to an audience who will read them. But at times, we can be so consumed …
God’s Timing: Simple as ABC
by Patti Jo Moore If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this writing journey, (okay—I’ve actually learned a lot of things!), it’s the truth that God’s timing is always best. Always. No exceptions. We might think we’ve got a great plan, with all the details and timing worked out. Some writers make short- and long-range plans for their writing, including …
Stranger Than Fiction
By Davalynn Spencer We’ve all heard it said: Truth is stranger than fiction. I’ll not argue about who first made that observation, but I do like Mark Twain’s tongue-in-cheek defense of the premise: “… it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.” Possibilities were what I needed last year as I researched a protagonist’s goals and …
Invest in Others… Deep in the Trenches
by Kimberley Woodhouse An author’s life can be very lonely. And the longer you’re at this business, it could easily get lonelier when there are deadlines stacked on top of deadlines in addition to regular family/church life. That’s why it’s so important to invest in other writers. ACFW is a beautiful picture of that. That’s why we’re here, right? More …
Creating Characters that Readers Can Love
by Ann H. Gabhart Why do we love picking up fiction books to read? Great settings can add to a story, like the Appalachian Mountains setting I used for Along a Storied Trail. Interesting history makes me dive into a story. A plot that keeps me turning pages is a big plus. All those definitely contribute to a good novel, …
Microsoft Word: Trusted Friend or Bucking Bronc?
by Rhonda Dragomir Hunched over my keyboard, lights dimmed so as not to keep my husband awake, I type feverishly on my manuscript. It’s due tomorrow. Though it’s past midnight, I push ahead. If I finish, I’ll sleep better. There. Perfect. One more review and I’ll let it rest until morning. But wait . . . where on earth did …
The Faith to Finish
by Laurel Blount I’ve heard that 97% of aspiring writers fail for one specific reason. They don’t finish their books. It’s a staggering statistic—but after talking with many hopeful writers, I believe it. Even after they’ve pitched the book at a conference and been invited to submit, even when they’ve had an encouraging ‘revise and resubmit’ from an editor, their …
Getting Unstuck after 2020
by Kristi Holl I was sick twice during the pandemic, we lost two family members, plus I had a month-long severe reaction to my second Covid shot. When I resurfaced, practically comatose, I was behind on one book deadline and a book proposal (set in 1850s England.) None of my decades-old “get started” techniques worked, which induced a near panic. …
Writing is a Lot Easier than Editing
By Glynn Young In late December, a story idea took possession of my head, and I began to write. The narrative flowed like it never had before with five previous novels. This one was different; its predecessors had been part of a series, while this one was a completely different story. On Feb. 18, I write this note in my …
The Juggling Act: Working Full-time and Writing
By Amy Clipston People often ask me, “How do you work a full-time job and write books?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead reply, “I just make it work.” Unlike some authors, I work full-time for a local government, in addition to writing four or more books per year for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. In fact, in …