by Bonnie Calhoun What comes mind when I say those words? Typically someone would think of a movie set in the oldun’ days. Someone had a tripod camera and a megaphone and a snappy board with numbers on it. I want you to try this when you’re writing an action scene. The idea is to get you to look at …
Writing Older Characters
by Lisa J Lickel It’s my birthday today! I’m fifty-one. Made it-yippee. I know, thank you, I don’t look it. But of course I can’t help thinking about age, my family, my friends, and my characters. Commercial and pop fiction isn’t only about sweet early twenty-somethings. The later thirties are not very interesting because we’re too busy with normal life. …
Conference Networking
by Danica Favorite Many people are focused on networking at conferences. Not that networking isn’t important, but I hope at this year’s conference, you’ll also remember the power of simply making friends. The most valuable industry contacts I’ve gained have not been from schmoozing, but from hanging out. One neat example happened six or seven years ago. At the time, …
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
by Eileen Key The calendar page flipped this weekend and we’re now down to hours ’til conference liftoff. People are running themselves ragged shopping, dieting, packing, …oh wait…maybe some are writing, preparing one-sheets, elevator pitches and polishing the proposals. After all this is a writers’ conference. The premier Christian writers’ conference at that. As a conference vet, a board member, …
The Bridge-Using Symbolism to Connect
by Sarah Sundin In high school English, I disliked questions about story symbolism. Ironically, finding and using symbolism in my own novels is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. Symbolism connects the reader to the deeper meaning in your story. Finding Symbolism Symbolism is best discovered rather than imposed. Often symbols arise from the character-who she is …
Your Backstage Pass
by Kim Vandel There’s a reason I’m a writer. I’m more comfortable with books than with people. Attending the conference in St. Louis last year was a big step outside of my comfort zone, but I knew the benefits would outweigh the bouts of social anxiety. It would be a great opportunity to learn, get connected, and be inspired. The …
Why Do First Manuscripts So Often Get Rejected?
by Nikki Arana The biggest reason that new writers receive rejections is because they send out their manuscripts before they’re ready. Quite often emerging writers think when they finish their first ms that they have a book that is ready for the marketplace. In almost all cases, that isn’t true. If it has been written with the guidance of a …
Elevating Your Elevator Pitch
by Janice Hanna Thompson You’re wrapping up the best book you’ve ever written. It’s all you can think about. You can’t wait to go to that next conference to meet with an editor or agent. However, you realize that your face time will be brief. How will you pitch your novel in a way that will garner the attention it …
Marketing 101: Allowing for God’s Plan
by Kathy Harris As the old saying goes, ‘fifty percent of advertising works and fifty percent doesn’t. The problem is in determining which is which.’ The same goes for marketing. In putting together a marketing plan, there’s only one thing to remember: You can control everything except the things you can’t control, which is pretty much everything. The good news …
Five Conference Tips from a Veteran Attendee
by Vickie McDonough After waiting all year for the ACFW conference to roll around again, it’s hard to believe that it is now only weeks away. The highlight of my year is attending the ACFW conference each September. I know I will learn more about the writing craft, but I also get to see the friends I’ve made over the …