By Judy Christie When I was a girl, I went shopping at a Woolworth’s store that had a costume-jewelry counter and a ring-sizer that looked like an old-fashioned telephone dial. Curious, I put my finger into a variety of holes until I found one that seemed to fit. But when I tried to take my finger out, the ring-sizer was …
The Heart of the Matter
by MaryAnn Diorio Writing fiction, like all of life, is a matter of the heart. Scripture tells us that “people look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). The heart is the seat of motives. It is the control center of all human behavior. For those of us who write fiction, the heart …
Another Reason to Be Thankful
By Kathy Harris Strolling through the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana in September, I realized how blessed I was again to be sharing a weekend with more than 600 writers of like mind and Spirit. The hundreds of seasoned and pre-published authors, editors and representatives from major Christian publishers, and agents who attend ACFW conference each …
You May Be a Writer
by Ane Mulligan Someone recently asked me how I knew I was a writer. I gave her the usual answers about a story taking over my mind … forget that … taking over my life until it’s told. I also had to admit all my really good friends are imaginary, at least the ones who still talk to me. I …
When the Holidays Cut Into Writing Time
by Anne Mateer The holiday season is upon us. For some writers, the interrupted normalcy means more writing time. But I suspect the opposite is the case for many of us: the holidays mean less time to write. Perhaps your children have vacation from school and require more supervision. Or they’re home from college (like mine will be) and you …
Thoughts on Being Adopted
by Mary Ellis Turn on a made-for-TV movie or one of those “reality” shows about adoption and you’ll find adult children in serious angst over being given up. Everyone seems to be frantically searching for natural mothers and birth siblings. Invariably during the program’s second segment, after the commercial break, the viewer meets the long-suffering mother. Apparently she never stopped …
Where Do Storytellers Come From?
by Dana Mentink Writers are storytellers. Most will tell you something along the lines of “Oh I’ve been jotting down stories since I was a kid!” Guilty. When I wasn’t jotting them, I was thinking about them (most likely during a math lesson.) Somewhere in my formative years, the seed was planted deep, sprouting into a jungle of stories. So …
Duck, Duck, Goose: A Wee Bit of Encouragement
By Tamara D. Fickas “Duck, duck, duck…” Her back rigid, the little blond girl stared straight ahead, lips stretched thin. Each time It came near, her eyes shone with hope. Each time the tap came with a duck her head dropped a little further. Would she ever get to be goose? Do you remember the game Duck, Duck, Goose from …
When Did You Last Share Your Story?
by Ian Acheson “It’s time!” I woke with those two words on my lips. I knew exactly what they meant because I knew who said them. My life changed in that moment. I knew then I was being pursued… That’s typically how I start my story when I share it. No, not the stories I’ve written, but my personal story …
The Timeline of a Novelist’s Career
by Cynthia Ruchti One word started a seismic reaction in the late 1800s. “Gold!” When gold was discovered in the Klondike region of the Yukon, 100,000 men dropped everything and headed for the area. Only 30,000 to 40,000-far fewer than half-arrived. The rest were thwarted along the journey by conditions, ill health, the terrain, difficulties, dangers, and discouragement. It’s estimated …