By Suzanne Woods Fisher After more than thirty novels about the Old Order Amish, all set in the same little fictitious town of Stoney Ridge, Pennsylvania, my editor called and asked if I would be interested in writing a contemporary women’s series. “Pick a spot on either coast,” she said. “And think of summer. Think of a place that calls …
3 Ways to Work Well with an Editor
By Kariss Lynch They say that all good things must come to an end. Sadly, the same holds true in writing. As you turn your manuscript into your editor, you abdicate your position as ruler of your own fictional kingdom in favor of an advisor who tells you all the wonderful things you did wrong and how you can fix …
What Would I Tell My Unpublished Self?
By Patricia Bradley The day this posts my tenth novel, Justice Delivered will release. For the past five years I have been living my dream of being a writer published writer. I’ve been a writer much longer. Much longer. As I thought about this tenth book, I thought about all the things I wished I’d known when I first started …
5 Ways to Destroy a Writing Career
by DiAnn Mills Writers receive blog posts daily that offer advice to build their careers. The publishing world has many sides, and each facet needs attention. We read— How to sell more books. How to strengthen characterization. How to write a synopsis. How to create a proposal. How to research and interview. How to increase exposure through social media. How …
The Power of Happy Moments
By Grace Hitchcock Sometimes it is tempting to allow drama and heartache to swamp our stories. Years ago, a favorite professor of mine would say over and over how “only trouble is interesting.” Today, I’d like to talk about how happiness can be just as moving/interesting as tragedy and that it is okay to let our characters be happy. Trouble …
It’s a Conundrum
By Ane Mulligan In this world, there are problems and there are conundrums. They do differ. Problems are your ordinary, garden-variety bugaboos. A pro-blum or a pro-blem, depending on where you live. Either way, whether a hitch, snag, or quandary, they all differ from a conundrum. co·nun·drum [kuh–nuhn-druhm] noun a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on …
Enjoy the Journey – Even the Detours
by Tracy Popolizio Last year I was given a great, hidden treasure. A book! I say hidden because I didn’t realize the impact it would have on me until months later, when, shuffling through my stack looking to see what might interest me, it caught my eye. I pulled it out and thought I should probably read it because it …
Traits of a Successful Critique Group
By Henry McLaughlin I’m sure we’ve all participated in or heard stories about horrible experiences with critique groups. I’ve had a few myself. Unfortunately, I may have contributed to some of them. To any writers I did this to, I apologize. I’ve been writing seriously for over ten years. During this time, I’ve participated in many critique groups, both on …
One Step at a Time
By Rondi Bauer Olson We write because we love words, stories, and touching people’s lives. We write because we can’t stop, and because it is God’s calling on our lives. Unfortunately, working as a writer can have some unhealthy side-effects. Vision problems and headaches from staring at a screen all day, carpel tunnel, and worst of all, for many of …
The #1 Best Method for Growing Your Instagram Following
By Lara Helmling If you’re not using the method I’m about to teach you for your Instagram account, you are missing out big time. You probably know that Instagram is the most effective social media platform right now. Do you also know that publishers expect you to have thousands of followers? To make it even more fun, they expect you …