by Cathy Gohlke Access to information affects the motivations, actions, and consequences borne by every character we create. This truth came boldly home to me while writing Saving Amelie, a story set in Nazi Germany during 1939 and 1940. In writing about a society controlled and censored by a dictatorship and rife with propaganda, it was difficult-sometimes overwhelming-to determine who …
Lean on Me: Why Fellow Writer Friends are Important
by Tamara Fickas Writing is solitary work. The idea of a hermit sitting at his computer/typewriter pounding out word after word has been around a long time. I sometimes think that’s what appeals to me about writing. As an introvert, I love the idea of writing in solitude. When I lived in Oregon, I used to drive through the Columbia …
Color Me Purple: Help Others Take an Interest in Your Work
by Debra Koontz Roberson Remember this children’s nursery rhyme? I never saw a purple cow I never hope to see one But I can tell you this right now I’d rather see than be one. Being different may be a horrible thought when you are a child or teenager, but it’s essential when you’re a grownup marketing yourself and your …
GMC, Oh That Conflict
by Martha Rogers Goals, motivation and conflict, three elements all our stories need. The essence of every story is conflict, but for me, that is the most difficult thing to add to my novels. I dislike confrontation and will go to great lengths to avoid it. I get very angry with others, but rather than getting into an argument, I …
Hero or Villain?
by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA I have a friend who writes cozy mysteries. Her favorite quip when she gets annoyed with someone is to say, “Be careful. I may put you in my next novel.” My friend’s comment provokes some interesting philosophical questions: • If my friend were to put me in her novel, what kind of character would I …
Keeping Your Hero Honest
by Rebecca DeMarino In writing fiction, you need a strong MC and if you are writing romance you will need two, and one of them better be a hero. Readers of romance want their heroes to not only be strong, but handsome, loveable and yes, heroic. And if it’s Christian fiction our hero better be strong in his faith, if …
Houston-The Most Diverse City in the US
by DiAnn Mills I love Houston. It’s home, and that makes it the most special place on the planet. Oh, I know you’re thinking of cowboys and oil wells, Texans and Astros. And those things are true. But Houston appeals to many people groups. According to the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, Houston ranks as the most …
What If?
by Sarah Hamaker What if I actually can’t write? What if the plot’s a mess? What ifI start and don’t know how to finish the book? What if no one else likes it? What if it’s published and no one buys it? In our writing life, we entertain many What If questions-usually negative in nature. Rarely do we ask the …
Dissecting The Old To Make It New
by Gail Gaymer Martin By the time novelists sell to a traditional publisher, they’ve donated a large amount of time honing their craft. Rejection points out a weak writing technique: pacing, dialogue, point of view or other flaws. Learning to write a good book is a craft. Many people say someday they’re going to write a book. They sit down, …
Writing Connected Stories
by Winnie Griggs As a reader I’ve always loved connected stories. I mean, what can be better than knowing that the characters and storyworld that you’ve just invested so much time and emotion into are going to reappear in more books to come. As an author, however, it never occurred to me to try to pen connected stories myself, until …