by Susan May Warren The ACFW conference is less than two months away and I can’t wait! Even now, I’m gearing up to hang out with my favorite peeps, fellow authors and the My Book Therapy community (The Voices.) And, just like you, I’m training for the day when I see editors and agents and pitch them my newest idea. …
What, No Adverbs?
by Donna L. Rich So many “how to” books tell me to weed out weak adverbs, and as I look at my own work, I’m paranoid. However, I’m not paranoid enough. In writing this post, I referred to my current edit in process. I wanted to see how many times I used an ly word when a stronger verb would …
The Hard Choices Every Day
by Sherri Stone I have been a life-long dieter. Actually, a more appropriate way to say that is that I’ve been a life-long thinker about diets and losing weight. You know the syndrome: • First resolution every New Year is to lose weight • The resolve to eat less and eat healthy is never stronger than immediately following a pig …
Why Fiction?
by DiAnn Mills Christian writers are often posed the questions: “Why fiction when you could be writing nonfiction?” “If you feel writing is a ministry, a calling from God, then why are you putting your time and effort into story?” “A real Christian would be writing something with real sustenance, not fiction.” I used to swallow my displeasure with those …
Don’t Quote Me on That
By Crystal Laine Miller I’ve been collecting quotes I like for a long time and have a huge, unorganized file. Here are some quotes dealing with writing that speak to me. Maybe they will speak to you too. “Writing a novel is like jumping out of a plane with some yarn, then trying to knit a parachute before you hit …
Reviewing the Review
By Cynthia Ruchti Why do people write reviews? • They want to help spread the word about a great book. • They have been asked to give an honest review about a new book by the publishing house or publicist, the author, or the review team on which they serve. • They feel compelled to warn potential readers about a …
Have You Considered a Launch Team?
by Ian Acheson Over the last two years there has been an increase in authors establishing teams of readers, or a Launch Team, to assist in the launch process. I’ve been a member of a few such teams for authors in both the fiction and non-fiction worlds. Some teams have ended with the launch and others have continued on to …
Christianity’s Greatest Ally…Science??
by Jim O’Shea From particle physics, to evolutionary science, cosmology, and quantum mechanics, science continues to lend credence to the Bible account of creation and the universe we live in. Archaeology has also done its part as well over the past few centuries by uncovering proof of people and places previously long thought to fables by biblical writers. Examples of …
Movies That Inspired Me
by Ruth A. Douthitt I grew up in the 1970s as a “child of the television age”. Most families had more than one TV set in the house and had it turned on all day long…even during dinner! I grew up during the summer of blockbusters, a term created after the movie JAWS set box office records that summer of …
Purpose in Pain
by Jennifer Sienes I lack imagination. A bold confession for a writer, wouldn’t you say? It’s true. That’s why I don’t do fantasy-don’t write it, read it, or watch it. “What do you mean you’ve never seen Lord of the Rings?” my husband of seven years asked me. “But you’ve read the trilogy, right?” Sorry to disappoint. But, no. I’ve …