by Marilyn Turk At a recent writers’ conference, one of the speakers advised the attendees to get new headshots to keep their profiles up to date. A headshot, in case you didn’t know, is the photo of just your head, the picture of you that goes on the back of a book or on your website, Facebook page, etc. It …
An Odd Verse about Writing
by Dwight David Croy Let me share with you a verse that you may think is counterintuitive to fiction writing. II John 1:12 says, “Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” This …
Who’s Driving?
by Steven Rogers @SRBooksForHope Writing a novel is like climbing into a car, pulling onto a long road, and driving until you reach what you think is the end. Along the way you will maneuver around twists, turns, unexpected side routes, and too many potholes to count. My guess is that most writers, even those who meticulously plan, are not …
The Writer in the Corner
by Chandra Lynn Smith I’ve been a professional dog trainer since 1988. A few years ago I trained a German Shepherd who had some dangerous fear issues. I stood at the kennel, leash in hand and greeted her. She growled. For those of you who read my opening sentence and thought what a fun job, well, not always. You know …
Gratitude for the Writing Community
by Jenny Erlingsson Even though I have been a writer for most of my life (scribbles during toddlerhood count, right?), I really didn’t have too much knowledge about how the publishing process worked. Getting involved in the book development process over the past ten years has been such a fascinating and eye-opening experience for me. Some of my favorite childhood …
ACCEPTED!
by Marilyn Turk As writers, we long to hear or see that word. Our writing has been accepted – by an editor who wants to read it, a publisher who wants to publish it, or a reader who wants to read it. Too often, though, we hear the opposite along this path to publication. “Rejected” is not used so often …
When Real Life Hijacks Your Writing Schedule (And How God Can Take It Back)
by Fayla Ott There’s a saying around my house: If Mom plans it, watch out and cover your head. The sky will most certainly fall. Maybe that’s why my guys are known to wear hats. I’m addicted to planners, lists, and charts. It’s like a sickness that can’t be medicated. My office looks like an Office Depot had a baby …
Making Good Use of Holy Week
by M.D. House @real_housemd By way of confession, I’ve never shown a great interest in Holy Week. I need to repent of that. The resurrection of Jesus Christ—which we celebrate on Easter—and the events leading up to that seminal, world-shaping event (which had been prophesied from the beginning), is more important than any other topic we could think about or …
Embracing YOUR Path
By Elle E. Kay @ElleEKay777 We’ve all been there. Whether we’re watching a virtual webinar, attending a conference, reading a craft book, or chatting with a fellow writer, we hear all about the BEST way to write a book. One person may tell us to throw out the plot, while another insists we plan every scene in detail. Some say …
You Have the Write to Remain Writing
by John Zelenski @johnzelenski As an author, sometimes I am told by fellow writers, “I just can’t find the time to work on my writing craft.” The truth is, we do live in a society where time is often in short supply. We have jobs (possibly more than one), families, responsibilities, church, etc. And while the list can go on, …