by Elizabeth Musser I had the joy and privilege of visiting The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago. As I stepped into the museum on that surprisingly balmy October afternoon, I thought back to my first visit to National Gallery. In 1989, I flew from Columbia, South Carolina to D.C. to spend a few days …
Time to Say Goodbye
by Dennis Ricci Six months ago, my literary life was riding high. My debut novel, Perilous Judgment, had just produced its first four-digit sales month, thanks to a BookBub promotion arranged by my publisher. The month-after sales embers were still hot, and I was praising God for the discoverability breakthrough and its apparent staying power. One Sunday in May after …
Vacation, aka Book Marketing Research
By Glynn Young My wife and I have been to England several times for vacation, but this time it was vacation with a book twist. Shortly before we left, I had finished a manuscript and turned it over to the publisher. The story is set in Britain and mostly London. But it was with a huge feeling of relief that …
Beyond Sense of Place
by Gail Gaymer Martin Setting should be more than sense of place. It can add deeper meaning to your story by reflecting the theme or mood. It can enhance the plot with situations built into the setting that can foreshadow situations or problems. It can influence the character’s emotions and actions. When you begin your novel, ask yourself these questions: …
Pay It Forward
By Patricia Bradley In my writing journey I’ve met some of the most amazing people, writers who have taken the time to help me along my journey. Some have been critique partners, some have been teachers at different conferences or on-line classes I’ve attended, and some have been judges in the contests I’ve entered. This week I’ve been thinking about …
Book to Movie?
by Michael Hicks Thompson What author doesn’t want their book made into a movie? It’s what launched John Grisham’s career. Remember The Firm? How’d Grisham accomplish that feat? Serendipity, for one. He took his manuscript to Willie Morris, the famous author from Yazoo City, Mississippi. At the time, Willie was Writer in Residence at Ole Miss. Grisham asked Willie to …
Researching the Highland Treasures Series
By Brenda B. Taylor I became interested in genealogical research after retirement which led to researching family ancestry. The lives of my ancestors grabbed my interest and curiosity. I researched and traveled to their homes and wrote about those in post-Civil War Missouri and Scotland. I found my Scots Munro ancestor who immigrated from Scotland to North Carolina early in …
Lessons Learned from NaNoWriMo
by Christa Kinde I first heard about NaNoWriMo from writing friends. They talked about the annual event with a blend of reverence and enthusiasm that made me curious. For those not in the know, November is National Novel Writing Month, and participants attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Exactly the sort of crazy scheme I enjoy. For the …
Oh That Heartfelt First Book!
By Dana Mentink Did you ever devour an author’s first book and find the rest of the series slightly different? Perhaps in tone or intensity, even in the style? I recently had a conversation with some book loving folks about that very subject. What is the reason for this “first book” phenomenon? I’ll tell you my perspective, for what that’s …
One Foolproof Way to Improve Your Writing
by Beth K. Vogt Let’s talk about one way to improve your writing. One tip. Two words: Slow down. That’s it. Want to be a better writer? Slow down. How does slowing down improve your writing? Consider these three examples: I’m a huge fan of fast drafting my manuscript – writing with forward motion, internal editor turned off, and with …