By Patti Richards When someone asks me what inspires me as a children’s author, I think about what pushes me to spend the majority of each day writing. I’ve been a writer for so long now that it really is who I am rather than just what I do; and it is intrinsically woven into my faith. So much so …
It’s All About the Shoes
By Gina Detwiler When I was a kid, The Wizard of Oz played once a year on television, an event my family never missed. I could recite every line: “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” “Lions and …
20 Ways Writers Spread Joy
By Cynthia Herron You’ve heard it a thousand times. The writing life is not for the fainthearted. In addition to the actual writing, marketing, and everything else our craft entails, there’s an added dimension. Because our work is solitary in nature, sometimes, loneliness nips at our heels. Toss in a few life events and trials, and we have the perfect …
Change My Words, Change My Attitude
By Henry McLaughlin I’m a writer. Been at it for a while now. And I’m still amazed at the power of words. Words make us laugh and cry. They make us feel emotions we may not experience in our normal life. Words introduce us to new worlds and new people. They inspire us to seek more of who we are …
Contemplation
By Henry McLaughlin I’ve been doing a lot of contemplating and pondering lately. About my writing. About life. About God. About making changes. Not really at a crossroads, but definitely a time of reassessment. Why? What’s the point? For me, it’s about getting priorities straight and getting myself right with God. I’m learning that too often I get private and …
What It Takes to be An Author in The 21st Century
By Rachel Hauck On a plane ride from Kansas City to Atlanta, I watched a film called “Best Sellers,” a comedy-drama starring Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine. The premise caught my eye. It was Old World, harkening to another age in book publishing. The time of the big-name author, book tours, peer and literary reviews, the literati, even where a …
Prioritizing the Important Things
By Donna Wichelman Authors know the business of writing takes hard work and consistency. Though we love wordsmithing, it still requires a commitment to the daily task—whether it’s ten minutes or ten hours—to achieve the word count or get out the next email or marketing material to our audience. Whether you are a traditionally published or an indie-published author, you …
Worthy Words: Creative and Compelling Characters
By Christine Sunderland As I reflect on my next novel, The Music of the Mountain, I return to the importance of creative and compelling characters. In some way my characters must change in the timeline of the plot, and this arc is determined by their own ability to change, their creative ability to learn, turn, confess, repent, and be reborn …
Heart to Heart Connection
By Tracy Morgan “In seeking to reach the world, we must learn to connect with others.” Joy K. Massenburge September 18, 2020 (ACFW) The pandemic ushered in an array of changes in everyday life. It presented me with the opportunity to attend the ACFW Conference virtually. I prepared for the classes as if I were embarking to set sail on …
How to Become an Overnight Success
By Ginny L. Yttrup When my debut novel, Words, won the Christy Award for Best First Novel, my agent joked that I’d become an “overnight success.” Before the award, few had read my writing. After the award, Words sold well, and the novel consistently sells well eleven years later. But an overnight success? Not exactly. The road that led to the publication of that first …