By Kariss Lynch Few things drive me to crazy story rants quite like shallow characters. I want to open a book and dive in, enjoying the dance of meeting new people. I want characters with depth that make me want to be them or marry them. I want characters with character, grit, vulnerability, and quirks. I want a little spice …
Friendship
By Deborah Hackett As fall arrives and many breathe a sigh of relief from the heat and the mosquitoes, we turn our attention to gathering wood for the fire or savoring that first Pumpkin latte while inhaling the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and all things related to pumpkin or apple. The more organized among us get to work planning …
Giving Back Through Endorsements and Reader Reviews
By Elizabeth Musser Write now–ah-hem, excuse me–right now, I have a ‘stack’ of novels on my bedside table. Well, they actually reside within my Kindle. None have been published–yet. Some will come out next year with a traditional publisher, several I received from my agent who asked if I would kindly take a look, and three or four are from …
Lessons Learned from Walks on the Beach
by Mary Ellis Do you remember the age-old story about the starfish? As told to me as a child, a young girl was walking along the beach with her grandfather when they happened upon thousands of starfish left behind with the tide. When Grandpa picked up one to fling back into the waves, the girl did the same. One by …
Let Go and Let God Write
By Lenora Livingston In my seventy-six years of living, never once in my wildest dreams did I ever envision myself writing a novel. No, not me, no way! In my school days, I always cringed at the very thought of rough drafts and rewriting themes and term papers. If I couldn’t write it right the first time forget it. It …
Real People
By Georgia Florey-Evans As you might guess from the title, we are looking at characters. Unless I stick with the “Real People” and host a gossip session like none other. When I started writing only three years ago, I was naïve. I would write this unbelievably excellent novel, and it would go right onto the shelf at every major bookstore. …
The Season Between
By Chandra Lynn Smith Early morning is quiet these days. The summer songbirds have already moved out. The gaggle of Canada Goose that spent the summer raising young and lazing on my pond have left. The robins, whose arrival indicates spring, are gathering in my yard now for their southern flight. All of wildlife is storing food for the winter, …
Show Vs Tell Gone Wild
By Ane Mulligan To draw your readers into your story, you want to create an experience for them. But that experience is filtered through your POV character. You know that already? Good. But are you layering the senses into your fiction so the reader hears, sees, smells, tastes, and feels it? It’s actually a matter of “showing vs. telling” gone …
National Forgiveness Day
By Elizabeth Ludwig The theme in many of my books has been forgiveness–both giving and receiving. It seems fitting then, that that I talk about National Forgiveness Day. This year, it falls on October 29. Who knew? I certainly didn’t. It’s a good reminder that we all need to practice forgiveness. However should this be reserved for one day…or should …
The Joy of the Lord is My Strength
By Barbara J. Scott Joy? “What’s joy got to do with writing?” the Grinch would say. Aren’t writers supposed to pour their blood, sweat, and tears onto the page? Aren’t we supposed to suffer for our craft? I remember the first story I ever wrote for publication–The Milk Bottle Circus. I was in the fourth grade, and our teacher planned …