by Donna L. Rich My last speaking engagement was with the Optimists Club, and they asked me to speak on my writing journey. Since they were optimists, I had to tell them about smile no matter what. When I was a kid, my mother always told me to smile no matter what, and I did just that – even when …
On the Road to Publication Be Sure to Pack A Lot of Patience!
by Pamela S. Meyers I’ve always dreamed of writing a story set in my picturesque hometown, and God surely blessed me when I was given the opportunity to do so by Summerside Press. This past weekend I launched my novel Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the book of my heart. My first publishing contract came seventeen years after …
Conference Benefits
by Dani Pettrey I’m often asked if the cost of attending a writing conference is worth it, particularly for the unpublished author. I can only speak from personal experience, but I have found writing conferences to be extremely worthwhile, especially in the following four areas: 1. Friendship: Attending a writing conference is a great way to meet likeminded folks, to …
Psychopaths in Fiction
by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT Colloquially, people use the term psychopath (pronounced sigh-COP-ah-thee) to indicate that someone is “crazy,” but this would be a gross overstatement. I’ve got family members who are crazy, but are not remotely psychopaths. In the psychological field, the term is mainly used in conjunction with or as the equivalent to Antisocial Personality Disorder, but this is …
Therapists in Fiction
by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT I like to think that any professional, not just therapists, would laugh at their fictional counterparts. I assure you that Drs. Frasier Crane and Hannibal Lecter are hardly representative of the majority of us. No, authors most likely convey therapists as empathetic, conservatively dressed, with degrees artfully hung on the wall in a tasteful but somewhat …
ACFW REWIND: Developing the Real Life Substance
(Editor’s Note: Today, ACFW re-runs a worthwhile post from the past, in this case from February, in what we call the ACFW rewind, which highlights previous posts that deserve a second look. ) by Michael Lee Joshua I “live” in Colorado. But I work in Wyoming. I do get home every other weekend (as long as weather permits). Being up …
Engaging Events
by Suzanne Kuhn Every time you you have an event, whether it is a book signing, a meet and greet, a launch party, or speaking with a book club, you are representing yourself as the flagship of your brand. How you present yourself is very important. Understandably, everyone gets a little nervous at show time. How can you make your …
WRITING: a Potentially Problematic Passion
by J.A. Marx When I was a child, I didn’t write stories, I acted them out. Living in the heart of the Rockies, my playground was made up of rock outcroppings and climbing trees. Today’s term for this type of acting is LARP – live action role-play. I larped with my friends all the way through my first year of …
Inspiration for a Story
by Sandra Robbins When I first started writing, I was somewhat shocked to find that I would be an active participant in the marketing of my books. So I said a prayer and jumped right in. Besides all the resources available online, I found one of the things I enjoyed doing most was talking with readers. Over the last few …
Managing Bookstore Signings
by Jordyn Redwood As many as there are books, there are just as many opinions as to whether or not authors should do bookstore signings. This was one of the things I was relatively surprised to learn on my publishing journey-bookstores aren’t clamoring for me to come and visit. Why? If you’re not well known-will the time and effort they …