by Kathleen Y’Barbo When I mention that my historical romantic suspense series, THE SECRET LIVES OF WILL TUCKER, includes a dash of steampunk, I usually get one of two responses: a wide grin or a confused expression. For those of you who best identify with the confused expression crowd, let’s talk about what steampunk is. Wikipedia calls steampunk “…a subgenre …
Writing Preparation
by Carolyne Aarsen My husband had to replace a window in my office awhile back. He drove to his brother’s place, a twenty minute drive one way, borrowed a set of scaffolds, came back and set them up to install the window. Then he got his tools and brought them to the scaffold. All tallied, this took him all morning. …
The Crucial First Chapter
By Anne Greene The last time I wrote, I discussed how to Make Your Manuscript Sparkle. I trust you all learned more about deep point of view from that lesson. Down through the years of writing and being a charter member of ACFW when it was ACRW, I’ve learned so much of the craft of writing that God nudged me …
Do You Have to Write What You Know?
by Crystal Laine Miller Beginner writers are often told to “write what you know,” which isn’t bad advice. When you’re learning to write, it will keep you concentrating on the craft and not worrying about the research quite as much. What if you’d like to know some new things to write about? Or what have you always wanted to learn? …
What was the Question?
by Beth K. Vogt “I start with a question. Then try to answer it.” – Mary Lee Settle (1918-2005), author The best way to start a novel is with an Inciting Incident, right? The event that changes the main character’s life – shoves them out of their normal world – and sends them on a journey. But there’s something that …
Keeping the Reader in Mind
by Ruth A. Douthitt I teach writing to middle grade students here in Phoenix, and am amazed at their creativity when it comes to writing stories. As a writing teacher, I use a plotting diagram as well as an outline. I also remind my students to keep me, the reader, in mind as they write. Now I have 70 stories …
The Poetry of Plots
by Christine Sunderland As Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, they celebrate their own resurrections. They celebrate the ending of their story as human beings. And it is a satisfying ending for each of us. Just so, as I plot my novels, I want my stories to reflect these deeply human realities that are true of all of us, believers …