By Stephanie Prichard Ten years ago, my husband asked if I’d like to write a novel with him. Mind you, this is a man who rarely reads anything other than the Bible. Don’t get me wrong, he loves fiction—but only in the format of movies. What did he know about writing books? I snorted and told him to go ahead …
God in the Detours
by Suzanne J. Bratcher, PhD We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28, RSV] My writing road began in a bookmobile on McCollough Drive in Austin, Texas in 1957. I was eight, and I was waiting for Brighty of the Grand Canyon, a book that …
My Research Introduced Me to New Long-Lost Friends
By Kathryn Haueisen I wrote Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures as historical fiction so I could create conversations. However, I still wanted it make it as historically accurate as possible. I especially wanted to be faithful to the details of this famous 1620 voyage from the Natives’ perspective. Researching that perspective proved to be much harder than I …
Christian and Faith-Based Fiction…Aren’t They the Same Thing?
by Susan Wingate My writing within the Christian fiction genre began around seven years ago. I had never considered writing within the genre before. Not until I met Joshua Graham who wrote Beyond Justice, a faith-based thriller. Joshua Graham and I chatted regularly by phone. During our talks, we spoke about faith and how Christianity funneled into our writing. Mine, …
The Role of Christian Fiction in a Hostile World
By Norma Gail What is the role of Christian fiction as our world grows increasingly hostile? Those who would change our culture want all references to faith in God removed from anything public. However, the written word is personal with a reach far beyond an individual author’s circle. We possess a tool to change individual hearts. God gave us an …
Have You Failed Enough to Be a Success?
By Susan A.J. Lyttek 1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT: So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. If you look at my writing career through one set of glasses, I have been amazingly successful. I have had three magazine columns, …
Permission Granted
By Melissa Bennett I’m going to say something that goes against the grain. Something that is deeply contrary to our Western culture. It might feel more than a little uncomfortable and some may even take offense. But I’m going to say it anyway. It’s okay if you are not able to write right now. One more time for those in …
Cooking Up Story Ideas
by Ann H. Gabhart Where do you get your ideas? That’s a question most writers are asked at one time or another. Here’s an answer one writer, Sarah Zette, gave that might make you smile. My joking answer to this question is that I leave a bowl of milk out on the back porch every night for the Idea Fairy. …
What If All We Had Was Dialogue?
By Cynthia Ruchti For three decades, I wrote scripts for a daily 15-minute radio broadcast. The first portion of the broadcast was a slice-of-life scene by two women walking through the kinds of things life can throw at any of us. Following that scene, a musical interlude segued into devotional thoughts related to that day’s theme. The scenes were all …
Our Family of God
By Christine Sunderland Our cities are burning. Some say civilization is collapsing. And today is the Feast of St. John Baptist. Our world needs some baptizing, some holy waters to put out the fires. My recently released novel, Angel Mountain (Wipf and Stock), is set in the midst of this cultural chaos. It is about another baptist, a hermit living …