Regency romance writing called me. Not the calm drawing room conversations and country walks of a Jane Austen, but the swashbuckling romance such as Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer, or even better, the “Sanguinet” series by Patricia Veryan. I wanted spies and dead bodies amidst the glitter of the haut-ton. Who needed to find God’s Grace more …
Expect an Adventure
Writing is a tough profession. The competition in today’s publishing world makes the strongest writers think twice about their commitment to excellence. Those of us who are lured by the magnificence of story are committed to creating a world where our readers slip into the shoes of our characters and are whisked away to an amazing thrill filled with uncertainty. …
ACFW conference — Carrie Pagels
If this post goes up on the ACFW blog on September 22, I will be enroute to the annual ACFW conference. I attended for the first time last year. And what a difference the conference made to me and what a year this last one has been. Where else can writers meet so many agents and editors for Christian fiction? …
Start Making Your List
By Kathy Harris We unpublished writers are always looking for ways to discern how far we are in our writing journey. One of the best guides can be found at Randy Ingermanson’s website, www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/freshman.php. By answering only five questions you can determine, by Randy’s estimation, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, with publication becoming likely in the …
Don’t Imitate Others — Follow God’s Directions
By Lena Nelson Dooley In 2005, so many people were starting blogs. I had no idea what a blog was, and I didn’t know if I was supposed to do one. I asked some other writers I was connected with what they blogged about. Someone told me to blog about my journey to publication. That was something I could do, …
Five Things I Learned on my Way to Publication
by Rose Allen McCauley I have been a member of ACFW for nine years now, since I joined in Sept. 2002, right before the first national conference. Several times at conferences, I’ve heard the statistic that it takes an author an average of seven years from beginning to write to attaining a contract. My contract was awarded at last year’s …
Do What You Are: by Tina Radcliffe
Life is a balancing act, and the words of Alex Cross, in James Patterson’s, Along Came a Spider, “Do what you are,” are a challenge when applied to our daily lives. If you were to list those things that fill your life in order of importance from least to most, how much time would you admit they occupy in your …
HUMILITY OR APATHY–The aversion to marketing.
ACFW Blog posting by Christine Lindsay author of SHADOWED IN SILK, winner of the 2009 Genesis for Historical. All of us in ACFW know the writing of Christian fiction is a ministry. And if we’ve been at it for a few years we know it is not for the faint-hearted. We know the perseverance, the faith it takes to write …
Pacing–I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can
By Margaret Daley The structure and pacing in a book is what holds the story together, moving it forward. Pacing and structure (what scenes go where) involves how you convey the characters and plot. In order to talk about pacing you also need to talk about the structure of the book. They are interwoven together. Why should a writer care …
That Inspirational-Writing Mirror: Shirley Kiger Connolly
I often wonder why Christians choose to write inspirational fiction books. Some might be sending a specific, heartfelt message. Some could be out there with that hope to eventually become wealthy. Some could be voracious readers, and hear themselves saying, “I can do that too.” What about those who simply need something to do as they sit in front of …