By Kariss Lynch It’s inevitable in writing, publishing, and life – there will be high highs and low lows and sweet moments in between. How we handle both extremes often demonstrates our character. A slap to my writing and to my dreams caused me to wrestle with this concept when I graduated from college. I began to wonder, “Is God …
Hanging in There
By Rondi Olson A couple of years ago, I had an unexpected reaction to reading a blog post. Normally I enjoy writer success stories, but after reading one particular publication journey, I crawled into bed, curled into a ball, and cried. This writer had finished her National Novel Writing Month project, then, in newbie eagerness, submitted her first draft to …
Writing a New Novel? Pray About It!
By Lynn Hobbs An idea flashes through your mind in the middle of the night, and you’re convinced it’s THE answer to your next novel. Maybe not. You decide which chapter to insert the idea …when to let readers be aware of that tidbit of information… Days pass as you change scenes and replace characters with that idea playing out …
Head and Tails of the Writing Life
By Dana Mentink September was hard at our house. We lost our beloved old dog, Nala. Nala was my shadow, my confidant and my writing partner. Wherever I was, she was there. After she passed, the house was empty and quiet, with only the sound of tapping keys on my keyboard. It took a long while for me to stop …
You are the Only You
By Tamara D. Fickas A new writer recently expressed concern that their words weren’t important. With so many great writers out there, how could their story make a difference? I can relate to that. Even after all the years I’ve been working at this writing gig I still struggle with whether my story is valuable enough to share shelf space …
Don’t Let These 5 Confusing Words Mar Your Image
By Dianna Booher Tom’s an articulate physician, totally able to speak his mind and express a strong point of view. But when he repeatedly says “between you and I,” that grammatical error has the same effect as a big splotch of mustard on the front of his suit and tie. Words matter-particularly, the wrong ones. Or the right ones used …
The Juggling Act: Working Full-time and Writing
By Amy Clipston People often ask me, “How do you work a full-time job and write books?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead I sweetly reply, “I just make it work.” Unlike many authors, I work a full-time for a local government, in addition to writing four books per year for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. While other …
Giving our Books, One at a Time
By Elizabeth Musser “You have such an amazing family-you’re so genuine, so obviously happy to be together. I wish all the families I photograph were like yours.” So commented the hip young photographer I’d hired to take a family photo of our two sons, daughter-in-law, three grandchildren (ages 3, 2, and 1) and my husband and me. It had been …
Writing Your Manuscript a Third at a Time
By Johnnie Alexander Every manuscript begins as an idea-perhaps a character whose voice won’t leave us alone or a situation that demands to be explored. Our challenge is to turn that idea into a story. What blueprint, plan, or method will we use? One popular approach is to write the draft fast. Anyone who has participated in NaNoWriMo understands the …
Why Did I Kill a Certain Character?
By Henry McLaughlin The writer’s life does not take place in a vacuum. Especially if your work is published. Suddenly, there is a community of readers who have questions about the story and why did certain things happen. A frequent question I’ve received is why, in Journey to Riverbend, did I kill Old Thomas. Old Thomas is the Native American …