by Jeffrey Friedel, writing as Jefferson Riede @JeffersonRiede Scripture: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” ~Philippians 3:7 (ESV) There was a time in my life when I had the titles to back up my name. Lawyer. Executive. C-suite officer. I traveled the world. I stood in boardrooms. I rang the opening bell at …
Writing that Makes a Difference
by Marilyn Turk Writers often dream about writing a bestseller and finding success. Will our writing make any difference to anyone in the world? When sisters Susan and Anna Warner started writing mainly to help their family’s financial situation. The Warner family had been well-to-do in New York City and bought a summer house on Constitution Island in the Hudson …
Are you Hiding in the Baggage?
by Ruby Cline Lee There once was a man who was the fairest in all the land. One day, his herd of donkeys went missing and his father tasked him with search and rescue. The faithful son looked for days to no avail, but just before he headed home his servant said: “Hey, let’s go ask this VIP where our …
God’s Calling to Write
by Ruby Cline Lee Has God ever used a tedious or “dry” part of the Bible to speak to you about writing? For me, it was Exodus. This book shoots out of the gate with exciting visual pictures: the Jews in captivity. Plagues. Disaster. Thousands of slaves marching triumphantly then pining for garlic. God parting the Red Sea. Manna and …
Writing in the Dark: How to Craft Suspense with Light at the Core
By Darlene L. Turner There’s something gripping about a story cloaked in shadows. The kind that makes your heart pound, your breath hitch, and your eyes race across the page. But as a suspense author who also writes with a spiritual message, I’ve learned that the most powerful stories aren’t just drenched in darkness—they carry the flicker of light that …
The Promised Land of a Writer
by Ruby Cline Lee In Numbers 13, the Lord told Moses to send spies into the promised land, which resulted in conflicting reports: the land flowed with milk, honey, and . . . giants? Sadly, the undercover agents felt like tiny grasshoppers compared to the Canaanites. Not to mention, their fortified cities loomed—large and impregnable. In Chapter 14, the Israelites …
Visible Virtues: Fearless Fortitude
By Christine Sunderland @Chrisunderland Today is Memorial Day, a national day of memory, thanking those who possessed the Classical and Christian virtue of fortitude in their fight for our freedom. Through their courage defending our nation, these men and women ensured peace in our land of law and order. We must teach our children such fortitude, one of the cardinal …
A New Headshot?
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 …
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 …