By Connilyn Cossette Writing a second book, under contract, and after you’ve actually written most of the third is a daunting prospect. But that is what I was faced with when delving into Shadow of the Storm, the second book of the Out from Egypt series. I spent weeks writing things and deleting them. I spent weeks asking myself if …
Keeping the Writing Going When Your Life is in Chaos
By Allie Pleiter As I’ve been finishing my 2017 non-fiction How to WRITE When Everything Goes WRONG, I’ve been talking with a lot of authors about how they tackle the challenge of meeting a deadline under far less than ideal circumstances. The answer, as you might think, is as individual as every writer, but there have been some universal tactics …
Speak Your Message
by Carol Hamilton Sell more books by developing a speaking platform. Do you shudder at the thought of presenting anything before an audience? To make yourself more comfortable, choose a topic you are passionate about and know well. Talk about the writing life, a life-changing experience, or choose a theme or topic from your book. To create a presentation, your …
Why We Can’t Give Up
by Catherine West While at ACFW’s annual conference in Nashville this year, I was reminded of something. I had the opportunity to pass through the ‘waiting room’ of the appointments area a couple of times, and oh, the pressure was palpable. I remembered my first few conferences, nerves doing a jig all the while until my appointments were over. Conference …
The Field of Dreamers
By Robin W. Pearson Some soybeans spoke to me one day. Actually, it wasn’t the soybeans, but rather a cornstalk growing smackdab in the middle of them. That lone plant told me to keep pressing no matter what the world looks like around me, to do what I do, write what I know. What do I know? Well, I’m a …
Scarce as Hen’s Teeth
By Linda Brooks Davis Ever consider writing about chickens? Neither have I. Until now. I’m involved in a Bible study seeking a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit. Today’s lesson was subtitled “God wants to dwell among humble people.” Our discussions stimulated, challenged, and sometimes surprised me, made me sit up and consider the Holy Spirit in a new way, …
Making Stuff Up
By Davalynn Spencer “Just make something up,” my husband said when I told him I had a blog post to write for ACFW. Well, um, yeah. That’s what we do as American Christian Fiction Writers. We make stuff up. But that stuff has to be based in reality. Plausible reality. Not things like a bull knocking out my bullfighter-son’s front …
Friendship
By Deborah Hackett As fall arrives and many breathe a sigh of relief from the heat and the mosquitoes, we turn our attention to gathering wood for the fire or savoring that first Pumpkin latte while inhaling the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and all things related to pumpkin or apple. The more organized among us get to work planning …
Giving Back Through Endorsements and Reader Reviews
By Elizabeth Musser Write now–ah-hem, excuse me–right now, I have a ‘stack’ of novels on my bedside table. Well, they actually reside within my Kindle. None have been published–yet. Some will come out next year with a traditional publisher, several I received from my agent who asked if I would kindly take a look, and three or four are from …
Lessons Learned from Walks on the Beach
by Mary Ellis Do you remember the age-old story about the starfish? As told to me as a child, a young girl was walking along the beach with her grandfather when they happened upon thousands of starfish left behind with the tide. When Grandpa picked up one to fling back into the waves, the girl did the same. One by …