by Tamera Alexander When I became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in 2001 (or actually, American Christian Romance Writers back then), I joined this fabulous organization knowing little more than that I loved story and I wanted to learn how to write. Since then, God has brought many incredibly gifted people into my life who have graciously helped …
No More Sagging Middle!
by Denise Hunter It’s no secret to my writer friends that my least favorite part of writing happens during the middle of the book. They don’t call it the sagging middle for nothing, folks. If you’re not really careful, that baby will sag so low you’ll be tempted to Select All and Delete. Or at the very least, whine to …
Praying for Our Readers
by Cheryl Wyatt I recently saw the film Son of God, produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. One scene spoke to me with regard to praying for readers. I once asked God the best way to reach readers. His encouragement was, “just love them.” One way to do that is pray for them. In the film, a scene depicts …
Using the Gift
by Phyllis Keels When a dear friend edited a draft manuscript for me, I was grateful not only for her time and talents, but also for something else she did. She had the manuscript printed and spiral bound so she could hand write the edits. It wasn’t until later that I saw the value of her gift. After I had …
YA Dystopia Recipe
by Bonnie S. Calhoun The latest reading phase for YA (and a lot of adult readers) is the dystopian genre. A dystopian is categorized by a world set in the future, unlike the world we live in today. I’m even reading one now where the only difference in worlds is that in the book’s world all people are mandated to …
Writing Goals
by Lynn Hobbs Ever consider writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days? Without pausing to edit, your creativity continues as new dialogue and plots are recorded to expand your imagination and story. Or at least it did for me in 2011. I joined the National Novel Writing Month at NanNoWriMo.org and along with many others, I won. You are …
Writing and Research
By Elizabeth Ludwig I never realized when I started out writing historical romance that I would need to develop an archeologist’s skill when combing the Internet. On top of crafting a good story, writing anything with historical significance requires a general knowledge and level of accuracy that readers of the genre have grown to expect. My latest novel, Dark Road …
Weaving Family History Into Fiction
by Gail Gaymer Martin A number of years ago, I connected with a family member from England who had spent years locating members of the Gaymer family as part of her genealogy research. The connection provided me with history going back to the 1600s with the family tree as well as true stories about the Gaymer family history. I learned …
Journal: A Writer’s Tool Everyone Can Have and Six Ways to Achieve It
by Rebecca DeMarino If a journal is not in your writer’s tool kit, it should be. Proven to be a stress reliever and healthy for mind and body, it can also unleash the creative juices in each of us. While it can serve as a diary by simply recording your daily deeds and innermost thoughts, a journal is much more. …
Sometimes Things Change
by Deborah Lynne Hello fellow members of ACFW. Today I thought a good subject matter for my blog would be change. Change happens, even to the best of us, and sometimes it is a good thing-Sometimes it makes your story even better. I don’t know about you, but when I write a book, in my heart I know how it …