By Rose Allen McCauley Did you know the Twelve Days of Christmas start on December 25 and end on January 6th on Epiphany–the day the wise men first saw the Christ Child? To most people it means figuring out something, and to writers it can mean: an illuminating discovery, realization, or… a revealing scene or moment. Three of my Kentucky …
How to Make Your Writing Shine
by Liz Curtis Higgs Whether you’ve yet to be published or have a shelf full of novels with your name on the spine, here are four simple steps to improve your writing: read, write, listen, and refine. Read the best books in your genre, from time-tested classics to the latest award-winners. Study the rhythm of the words, the balance between …
Description That Draws the Reader Into Your Story World
By Ane Mulligan Description serves more purpose than simple describing a place or person. It can enhance or detract from a scene. It can be used to deepen characterization or confuse. Here’s some questions to ask yourself as you write: 1) Will the description draw my readers into the scene? 2) Can they picture it? Can you picture it? 3) …
Sabotaged!
By Andrea Boeshaar God has a purpose and plan for each of us. How do I know? God says so in His Word, the Holy Bible. (See Jeremiah 29:11) But sometimes we sabotage Divine plans with negative thoughts and fears. The battlefield truly is the mind and we can be our own worst enemies. If we allow ourselves to wallow …
Satan Hates Your Writing (A Defense Strategy)
by Natalie Monk “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12 Haters gonna hate. And Satan is a hater. He hates your writing style, your blog, your book, your agent, your publisher, your librarian, your favorite football team… …
When a Writer Has Only One Month to Promote
By DiAnn Mills What puts you behind in marketing and promotion your novel? Perhaps you’ve been hit with health problems, personal issues, unseen travel, or maybe you didn’t know how or when to pre-launch a book. Don’t despair! The following eight tips will help tie up the date with a big, green bow etched in dollar signs. Even if you …
Stepping Out
By Tomi Leslie I questioned within. Me, take a line-dancing lesson? But I do love Country music. And so, I decided to try it. Then, I shopped for the perfect boots. Soon, I entered a resale store and on the shoe rack, I glanced at pumps, flats, sandals, and high-heeled shoes. I eventually asked the middle-aged saleswoman. “Do you have …
World Creating for the Earth-bound
By Lee Carver Fellow authors, I’d like to share with you a thought which has helped me visualize and therefore write my fiction. Fantasy and sci-fi writers are accustomed to creating worlds, defining them well enough that the reader “sees” the setting, right? Doing that without an “information dump” is part of the challenge. It has only recently occurred to …
Unpublished and on Social Media as an Author? Why?
By Tamela Hancock Murray It’s hard to get through a week without seeing at least one article on platform. Well, here’s yours for the week! We agents ask authors for a platform, but I have found that unpublished authors wonder how and why they should show a professional presence on social media. That question is understandable. Without a book, what …
Reviewing the Mindset of Reviews
By C. Kevin Thompson As many authors know, good, critical, honest reviews are important. Future readers often base their purchases on them. Therefore, reviews are gold when talking bottom lines. Because Amazon uses the review system as one of its major marketing arms, keeping reviews as pure as possible is paramount to good customer service. To prevent others from manipulating …