by Cathy Gohlke Some of the best writing advice I’ve ever received came from the editor of a small town newspaper: “Discover what’s going on in world or national news, then find that story on a local level.” The problem was that the hottest story in world news at the time was a widespread accusation that trusted clergy had molested …
The Influencing Dilemma
by Laurie Alice Eakes Let’s start off with an explanation of “influencing”. This is the practice of putting your name and address on a list to receive a copy of the book either directly from the publisher or from the author. The idea is that you will read said book, write reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, CBD, etc., or talk about …
Contests: Not About Winning
by Christine Lindsay The season of contests is upon us. There’s is nothing better than being nominated for an award, or even better winning an award to boost your chances of publication or selling your books. But what if year after year your submission doesn’t even make it to the finals? Just yesterday a friend said her submission wasn’t ready …
The Outline: Love It or Leave It
By Julie Cantrell When I wrote my first novel, Into the Free, I didn’t write an outline. Instead, the story came to me organically, and I didn’t know what would happen until I typed the words on the page. I enjoyed every minute of the process from start to finish, and the element of surprise kept me returning to the …
Just Do It
by Daniella Ojo Last Sunday I went to a church I sometimes visit that’s closer to where I live. It’s been a particularly cold winter so far and the night before we had about 3 or 4 inches of snow. That may not be much to people living in other parts of the world, but for London that’s a lot. …
America’s Mythology
By Darlene Franklin I am a New Englander by birth and proud of it. I didn’t make it west of the Mississippi River until I was twenty-two. Nor did I watch many Westerns on television. My heroes were the Minutemen and the leaders of the civil rights movement. Mythology belonged to the Ancient Greeks and Romans; with a healthy dose …
Writers Write!
by Lillian Duncan Writers write! For most of us, we don’t make a living from our writing. For you that do, congratulations. For the rest of us, what happens when a crisis comes? Can we justify the time, money, and emotional effort writing takes away from your family and/or the current crisis? To answer that question, it’s important to remember …
Chapter Ending Hooks
by Mary Connealy End each chapter in a way that hooks the reader and keeps them turning the page, because if someone is going to set a book down it’ll be at the end of a chapter. So how to hook a chapter? This is something I try really hard to do. I use comedy, action, word play or cliffhangers …
The Greatest Love of All
by Lorraine Walker February pulls our heartstrings, bringing to mind those we love. Celebrating with our special heartthrob (my husband of forty years), children exchanging sweet notes at parties, and let us not forget the greatest love of all. Our Savior gave his life because he loves us. My writing cannot be separated from that love. As inspirational novelists, we …
“Does Anybody In The Group Know…?”
by Dr. Richard Mabry Writers do research. It’s part of the process. We don’t want to write about a car going west on Commerce Street in Dallas when the street is one-way eastbound. So we are careful to check those things out. And when we don’t, believe me, there are readers out there who will let us know about our …