By Tanara McCauley We live in an unprecedented time. While there’s nothing new about the circumstances—pandemics, political tension, racial division, economic crises and the like have existed throughout history—this age of social media and varying degrees of quarantine makes ours a unique experience. For example, I bid farewell to my junior and senior students in a Zoom meeting weeks after …
Three Aids to Successful Writing
By Stephanie Prichard Ten years ago, my husband asked if I’d like to write a novel with him. Mind you, this is a man who rarely reads anything other than the Bible. Don’t get me wrong, he loves fiction—but only in the format of movies. What did he know about writing books? I snorted and told him to go ahead …
My Research Introduced Me to New Long-Lost Friends
By Kathryn Haueisen I wrote Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of Two Cultures as historical fiction so I could create conversations. However, I still wanted it make it as historically accurate as possible. I especially wanted to be faithful to the details of this famous 1620 voyage from the Natives’ perspective. Researching that perspective proved to be much harder than I …
Have You Failed Enough to Be a Success?
By Susan A.J. Lyttek 1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT: So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. If you look at my writing career through one set of glasses, I have been amazingly successful. I have had three magazine columns, …
Permission Granted
By Melissa Bennett I’m going to say something that goes against the grain. Something that is deeply contrary to our Western culture. It might feel more than a little uncomfortable and some may even take offense. But I’m going to say it anyway. It’s okay if you are not able to write right now. One more time for those in …
Mama’s Secret
By Renee Hodges Enough. I’ve said it to the server at our favorite Italian place as she grated a gracious amount of Parmesan cheese on my meal. I’ve growled it through gritted teeth at a child testing my patience. I’ve asked it of a friend to find out if I’ve given advice that helps her with a difficult decision. I’ve …
Cooking Up Story Ideas
by Ann H. Gabhart Where do you get your ideas? That’s a question most writers are asked at one time or another. Here’s an answer one writer, Sarah Zette, gave that might make you smile. My joking answer to this question is that I leave a bowl of milk out on the back porch every night for the Idea Fairy. …
What If All We Had Was Dialogue?
By Cynthia Ruchti For three decades, I wrote scripts for a daily 15-minute radio broadcast. The first portion of the broadcast was a slice-of-life scene by two women walking through the kinds of things life can throw at any of us. Following that scene, a musical interlude segued into devotional thoughts related to that day’s theme. The scenes were all …
Changing Perspectives
By Kathleen Denly In 2017, my husband and I adopted a beautiful, miraculous little girl from China that—despite her young age—taught me a lot about perspective. According to her paperwork, she should have had spastic dyplegic cerebral palsy in addition to a large number of scars from a traumatic event she’d endured as an infant. Our understanding was that she …
Books that Empower Writers to Excel
By Frank DiBianca I have a recurring nightmare in which I walk onto the stage of a packed symphony hall. I hold a violin and bow in my hands. The conductor turns to me and smiles. Suddenly, I realize I have not memorized my part. Even worse, I don’t know how to play the violin! Sound familiar? That’s probably not …