By Margaret Daley I have been writing for Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired line since 2000 and have enjoyed creating over forty Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense books. Writing for a category inspirational romance publisher has challenged me and helped me to grow as a writer. What have I learned writing category romances? I’ve learned first and foremost how to …
Seven Things I Learned by Failing NaNoWriMo
by Lacie Nezbeth December is newly upon us, and that means there are oodles of NaNoer’s out there either celebrating or trying to forget November ever existed. I admit to being in the second group. This was the first year I attempted NaNoWriMo. Admittedly, it was an ambitious goal for me, one that I fell far short of reaching. But …
Pregnancy, Birth, and the Writing Life
PREGNANT My best friend is 38 weeks pregnant. As I’ve walked alongside her through this miraculous journey, I’ve been struck by certain similarities between pregnancy, birth, and the writing life. PREGNANCY – My friend now waddles when she walks. Her hip hurts all the time. And when her seven-pound baby kicks, she sounds like a football player after a major …
I Second That Emotion
by Bonnie S. Calhoun That title is a line from one of my favorite songs. And I know it dates me but the thought is what counts. When you are crafting a scene, one of the necessary elements is the stimulating of our senses to facilitate emotion. Now granted, sometimes it is hard to get all the senses into a …
Stopping for a Story
by Rachel Hauck Over on Southernbelleview where I blog with a fine host of southern writers, our Friday Belle, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, wrote, “The whole world stops for a story.” Her words hit me square in the heart. How true! The world does stop for a story. A news story. Or a book. A movie or play about the heroism …
Achieving the Next Level
by Kathy Harris Let’s talk about transitions. Not transitional words – like but, and, either, and or – but the kind of transitions that take our writing to the next level. On Sunday afternoons, I often tune into Motivational Coach Micheal Burt’s radio show. Coach Burt recently spoke about transitions. Any of us who have experienced a transition, in or …
You’re a published author . . . Now what?
By Diane Moore The first book is published, ongoing media interviews, book signings, and social media networking fill your schedule, further outward signs that you’ve made it, Congratulations. So, why do you have that gnawing feeling of unfinished work still looming? For many of us, the second novel (and beyond) is more challenging because we have something to live up …
“The BE-happy-ATTITUDES for Christian Writers”
by Eileen Key During this holiday season, a week after Thanksgiving, I feel so FULL of thanks. God’s done such amazing things in my life and in ACFW. I ran across this list from my wonderful writer friend Janice Thompson and decided to share it. Be happy, be blessed my friends. “The BE-happy-ATTITUDES for Christian Writers” by Janice Thompson Blessed …
Does your story passion match your life story passion?
by Melissa Tagg I like to think of myself as a fairly confident person. I mean, I’ve not pulled a Julie Andrews and gone singing through the streets of Salzburg about my confidence or anything. But I’ve not generally been all that self-conscious… …until recently. In the past few months, I’ve been writing-and wincing and replotting and rewriting-my second contracted …
When the Contracts Don’t Come
by Vickie McDonough Since I was first published in 2004, I’ve gone through two long seasons without a contract. The first lasted fifteens months, and the most recent lasted eleven. During my first dry desert time, I remember wondering if I’d written all the books that God had for me. Was I done writing for publication? It was a real …