By Cynthia Herron What’s the real purpose of fiction? Several months ago, I tweeted: Fiction is just that. Fiction. Reading it is (and should be) fun. It is a break from reality. An escape. It doesn’t have to make sense, a point, or a literary statement. It can, but it doesn’t have to. When we distort that, we miss the art …
In the Presence of Courage
By Jerri Kelley Where we live there are dragons. Some folks call them hot air balloons, but if you’ve ever heard them breathe, you know they are dragons. Semper, our Lab mix, is afraid of dragons. She is afraid of most things. She wasn’t always that way. When she first came to live with us, she was fearless. She would …
Five Hundred and One – Encouragement for Unpublished Authors
By: SK Derban My long-term goal of becoming a published author was finally realized after more than two decades. It’s hard to remember how many times I thought about quitting, and that was before I started writing my first manuscript. Although I wanted to write directly out of college God had other plans for me. He knew I needed grooming, …
Your Wellspring of Strength for Writing
By Lana Christian I’ve been thinking about strength a lot lately—partially because COVID stole part of mine. My legs scream after I hike for a half hour. My brain still slogs at times. As I recoup those losses, I continue a demanding day job writing for physicians and researchers … and burn midnight oil pursuing my faith-based writing career. I …
When There’s Nothing…There is God
By Jerri Kelley For weeks now I have been trying to write this blog. I have sat at my computer, tapped keys, erased words, left with nothing done. Prayed some more only to hear quiet. It is a privilege to write for each of you, and I want to offer you something worth reading, and instead, I have nothing. Maybe …
What’s in a Name?
By Terri Gillespie A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, and grace rather than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1, TLV When people hear our name, what do they think? We may want people to think of what we have published or written, but that’s only a small part of who we are. What about our ancestors? …
Freeing Righteousness
By Christine Sunderland My latest novel, Angel Mountain (Wipf and Stock, 2020), calls each of the four main characters to seek meaning in their lives. It says despair not, for your Creator loves you. Despair not, for the law of love will free you. Despair not, for angels of righteousness are on the mountain and in the caverns, lighting the …
It’s All About Perspective
by Katie Powner As an author, I spend a lot of hours on writing-related endeavors. And I do mean A LOT. Not only working on stories—brainstorming, outlining, researching, drafting, editing, REPEAT—but also on social media, marketing, interviews, newsletters, and other similar activities. I can start to think that’s all pretty darn important some days. Pretty darn…real. But then a day …
Don’t Quit Your Day Job – Some Ideas to Write Around Real Life
by Tammie Fickas Ah, the life of a writer! You get to sleep in, enjoy your morning coffee on the back deck, spend a few hours at your desk, and boom, you have success. It’s enough to make a girl quit her day job and call herself a writer. Okay, before you stop reading, we all know it doesn’t work …
Are We Taking Our Medicine?
By Terri Gillespie TODAY’S PROVERB: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22, TLV A cheerful heart . . . What cheers us? Good news? A baby’s smile? A parking space close to the entrance? A beautiful sunrise? Getting what we want? These moments can be like doses of a spiritual elixir …