By Tosca Lee Late one night while I was writing my second novel, Havah, I dragged myself home from a business trip–tired, bloated, grouchy, stinky… and on deadline. I had two solid days at home before my next work trip and 5,000 words to write. Why then, the next day, did I want to do nothing but pick my cuticles, …
It’s All “Write” with Me
By Robin W. Pearson I imagine Moses felt a spark when he stumbled upon the burning bush. Spending time in a den of hungry lions motivated Daniel, and crouching in the belly of a fish surely gave Jonah the encouragement he needed. Sitting at the feet of our Savior definitely moved the disciples, and being struck blind opened the spiritual …
Writing Through Grief
By Linda Robinson It’s hard to write anything when you’re grieving. I know that all too well. We recently lost our grandson, who was twenty-nine years old, had fought lymphatic cancer as a four-through-six-year-old, underwent two separate rounds of chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. Praise the Lord, he survived and was still cancer free at his death. But …
How to WRITE About When Everything Goes WRONG
by Allie Pleiter Write What You Know, Right? Writing about the difficulties in your life sounds like a sure-fire path to emotionally compelling work, right? You know exactly how it feels, you know the gut-wrenching progression of events, and it would feel so cathartic to get it out on the page. It could be like re-writing your life at a …
Those Stories in My Head
By Martha Rogers Like the raindrops in the song, these stories keep falling on head and filling it with ideas. Peg Phifer posted a quote on our Novel Track writing loop, and it suits me to a T. “GOD PUT ME HERE TO ACCOMPLISH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THINGS. AT THIS RATE, I’LL NEVER DIE!” That’s exactly how I feel …
Five Activities for an Author in Waiting
By Teresa Tysinger I would argue that all authors are familiar with waiting. With no regard to genre, experience, position in life, or level of discipline, every author waits. We wait on inspiration to strike, for more time at the keyboard, or for an interested editor’s response. We wait on edits, reviews, sales reports, and website analytics. No matter the …
Guarding The Writer’s Heart
By Catherine West “You’ll need a thick skin.” “It’s not easy. Actually, it’s very hard.” “How do you feel about rejection?” This is what you might hear from seasoned authors if you ask about the writing life. I love this image. It accurately portrays the often frustrating and overwhelming world of the writer, and it makes me grin. Is it …
Stubborn Commitment
by Kathy Harris As young as seven or eight years old I knew I wanted to be a writer. If I could somehow transcend time and pay a visit to my younger self (hmmm, this sounds a lot like a recent James L. Rubart novel), I would probably find that I was dreaming of lazy days spent pouring my heart …
Redemptive Fiction
By Vikki Kestell Producing great Christian fiction is, as Gollum said, “Tricksy.” We members of ACFW desire to present the Gospel through our work. Along every genre and setting, bringing to bear all our tools and skills, whether we employ drama or humor, fantasy or realism, we strive to lift up Jesus and make him known. And yet, crafting effective, …
Fearfully and Wonderfully Written
By Tanara McCauley Earlier this year my husband took me to see Andrea Bocelli in concert. Already a fan, I thought I knew what to expect from the world-renowned tenor whose voice makes even my six-year-old close her eyes in appreciative awe. I was mistaken. Accompanied by a host of musicians, Mr. Bocelli conducted half of the concert in English …