By Henry McLaughlin I experienced two what might be called failures recently. In the space of three days. On Saturday, I received a rejection from an agent. On Monday, a publisher declined to consider my manuscript. It was the same book in both instances. To me they were failures. Something about my writing did not strike either the agent or …
It’s a Conundrum
By Ane Mulligan In this world, there are problems and there are conundrums. They do differ. Problems are your ordinary, garden-variety bugaboos. A pro-blum or a pro-blem, depending on where you live. Either way, whether a hitch, snag, or quandary, they all differ from a conundrum. co·nun·drum [kuh–nuhn-druhm] noun a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on …
Imagine the Impact
By K.W. Bounds Why do I even bother writing? Threatening to torpedo my work in progress, this thought surfaced leaving a wake in its path, as I scrambled to stay afloat in a sea of self-doubt and frustration. The compulsion to write God-honoring words never left, but my confidence in producing such waned. You’ve been there. It’s a universal struggle …
In Praise of Reading Poetry
By Glynn Young Like most of us, I read poetry – a lot of poetry – in high school and college English classes primarily because it was assigned. I was much more interested in fiction (Dickens!) and noir mysteries (Dashiell Hammett!) than I was in Tennyson, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and the Elizabethans. My attitude changed with T.S. Eliot and “The Love …
Entitled to Sell, Part 2
By Lynne Pleau Getting Creative In Entitled to Sell, Part 1, I showed you some different ways titles become memorable. Now let’s look at how do you create them. Start by defining your theme. In one sentence, capture what your piece is about. Next, define what you want your title to say about your piece. Jot down anything that comes …
Entitled to Sell, Part 1
By Lynne Pleau Blockbuster titles are hard to forget. You know the ones I mean: Star Wars, Godfather, Back to the Future, Jaws. They roll off the tongue. They sing with double meaning. And they stick with you for years. Don’t you wish you could create them? You can—if you know two things: what makes a title successful and how …
Trusting the Truth
By Christine Sunderland I look through my kitchen window to the slopes of Angel Mountain (aka Mount Diablo in Northern California). A white cross rises in the green grass, recently watered with rain. I jot notes on a lined yellow pad. I am in the home stretch of the first draft of my novel, Angel Mountain, 60,000 words and counting. …
A Pick-Me-Up for the Weary Writer
By Cynthia Herron As a little girl, I created masterpieces. I rocked my world with art and zany inventions. I made stuff from unusual materials—egg cartons, fabric swatches, wallpaper samples—you name it. I used it. I adored anything I could put my creative stamp on and call my own. I liked to color, paint, and make things with my hands …
Let Go and Let God Write
By: Lenora Livingston In my seventy-nine years of living, never once in my wildest dreams did I ever envision myself writing a novel. No, not me, no way! In my school days, I always cringed at the very thought of rough drafts and rewriting themes and term papers. If I couldn’t write it right the first time, forget it. It …
The Bird and the Worm—Research for Historical Fiction
By Sarah Sundin When writing historical fiction, we need to research with both the eye of the bird and the eye of the worm. A bird soars high. It sees for miles in all directions and senses what’s happening in many places, but it’s detached from the action. The worm sits in its little spot in the ground, aware of …