By Susan May Warren This year marks the tenth anniversary of my first novel being published. “Happily Ever After” came out in 2003 just as we returned home from the mission field in Russia, and I still remember staring wide eyed at the cover thinking…how on earth did this happen? See the truth is that I never set out to …
Ten Wrongs Don’t Make a Writer
Ten Wrongs Don’t Make a Writer How to Avoid the Top Ten Fatal Flaws in Fiction By Kathleen Y’Barbo We’re a little over a week into the 2014, the time when New Year’s resolutions begin to lose their shine and some of us begin to wonder if we should have resolved NOT to make any resolutions. But what if your …
Tell the Story
by Shirley Gould Scripture tells us in John 21:25 in the Message Bible… There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books. Though I would never be in favor of adding one ‘jot or tittle’ to …
Write Tight
by Maureen Lang I’ve just finished my current Work In Progress, and I always share my first draft with at least one trusted friend and critique partner before starting my revision process. Fresh eyes have a way of spotting plot twists that fall flat, character traits that don’t ring true or, the subject of today’s blog post, unnecessary verbiage. The …
Accepting the Fog
By Donna Benson My husband and I are long haul truckers and write in my down time. In our recent travels, we’ve encountered fog in many areas around the country. It’s not pleasant to drive through this heavy mist, because it obscures your vision. We can’t see the scenery or traffic ahead. Year after year, many are hurt in auto …
The Act of Creation
By Michelle Arch My office is in chaos – again. After finishing my course thesis on the parallels between Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground last spring, I spent a Saturday clearing the disarray of books, critical essays, notepads and Post-its with my jotted thoughts and references, my highlighted and dog-eared MLA Handbook and dictionary, half-empty water …
Patriots, Politics, and Powerful People
by Stan Crader In an effort to draw a fictional narrative closer to reality, I wanted to drop the name of a real famous person into the periphery of my novel. So, I began making a list that first came to mind. Try it and see what you come up with. Make a list of the greatest names that come …
Researching A Contemporary Novel
by Gail Gaymer Martin A contemporary novel is set in the present, and yet I spend a great deal of time researching details of location, seasonal events, health issues, careers and more to bring reality to the novel. The last two books of the Sisters series revolves around firefighters, and I used the Interent to research the career, but knowing …
Tis The Season
by Beth Shriver I just love this time of year! One of the reasons is watching and reading old Christmas movies and books. I am very into traditions, so even though my ‘kids’ are now eighteen and twenty, they fully expect to watch each and every one of our favorite Christmas classics. Although the selection has changed through the years …
Someday … I’ll Write a Novel
by Kathy Harris Someday … I’ll write a novel. How many times have you heard someone say these words? Maybe it was you. Or perhaps you’ve written a novel-or two or three or more-and your goal is to be published. Or multi-published. Maybe you want to hit the New York Times Bestseller list. Whatever your dream, it’s time to set …