by Gail Gaymer Martin Setting should be more than sense of place. It can add deeper meaning to your story by reflecting the theme or mood. It can enhance the plot with situations built into the setting that can foreshadow situations or problems. It can influence the character’s emotions and actions. When you begin your novel, ask yourself these questions: …
Book to Movie?
by Michael Hicks Thompson What author doesn’t want their book made into a movie? It’s what launched John Grisham’s career. Remember The Firm? How’d Grisham accomplish that feat? Serendipity, for one. He took his manuscript to Willie Morris, the famous author from Yazoo City, Mississippi. At the time, Willie was Writer in Residence at Ole Miss. Grisham asked Willie to …
Researching the Highland Treasures Series
By Brenda B. Taylor I became interested in genealogical research after retirement which led to researching family ancestry. The lives of my ancestors grabbed my interest and curiosity. I researched and traveled to their homes and wrote about those in post-Civil War Missouri and Scotland. I found my Scots Munro ancestor who immigrated from Scotland to North Carolina early in …
Lessons Learned from NaNoWriMo
by Christa Kinde I first heard about NaNoWriMo from writing friends. They talked about the annual event with a blend of reverence and enthusiasm that made me curious. For those not in the know, November is National Novel Writing Month, and participants attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Exactly the sort of crazy scheme I enjoy. For the …
Oh That Heartfelt First Book!
By Dana Mentink Did you ever devour an author’s first book and find the rest of the series slightly different? Perhaps in tone or intensity, even in the style? I recently had a conversation with some book loving folks about that very subject. What is the reason for this “first book” phenomenon? I’ll tell you my perspective, for what that’s …
One Foolproof Way to Improve Your Writing
by Beth K. Vogt Let’s talk about one way to improve your writing. One tip. Two words: Slow down. That’s it. Want to be a better writer? Slow down. How does slowing down improve your writing? Consider these three examples: I’m a huge fan of fast drafting my manuscript – writing with forward motion, internal editor turned off, and with …
Total Recharge
By Darlene L. Turner Josiah trudged along the narrow path. He stopped, shifted his backpack, and forced himself to keep moving in spite of the shooting pain coursing through his leg. He kept his mind focused on the solitude of his mountaintop destination. The agony of the climb would be worth it. It had been a rough six months with …
Paying It Forward
By Lenora Livingston “Paying it Forward” is an expression for describing the recipient of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor. What better way can a person show their thankfulness than to participate in the rippling effects of goodness. At age 78, I wish I could go back and thank my teachers who most …
Learning to Write Mannascripts
By Bethany Turner A few days ago, my son asked, “Is there still manna?” I said, “What do you mean? It’s not manufactured, if that’s what you’re asking…” “Well, no,” he laughed. “I didn’t mean like at Manna-R-Us, or something.” (He’s eleven, and a little too smart and witty—and sarcastic—for his own good, sometimes.) “I mean is there any left?” …
Making it right….
by Roxanne Rustand When someone refers to their “writing journey,” I think back to my own journey and my own misconceptions back in the early 1990’s. It all seemed so clear back then. Write. Be dedicated. Absorb everything I heard at writers’ conferences, study my books on writing and the scores of writing workshop tapes I listened to endlessly. It …