By Tamara D. Fickas Do unto others. That was the devotional given by Beth Vogt one Saturday morning in our local ACFW meeting. She talked about what this looks like for writers. How if we want a mentor, we should be open to mentoring someone. And if we want to grow in our writing, we should be willing to help …
Three Writing Challenges That No Longer Scare Me
By Kathleen Y’Barbo This year, I celebrate fifteen years in as a published author and ten years with my fabulous agent, Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency. Next year, in 2016, I will celebrate twenty years as a writer. I am closing in on sixty books published and two million books in print, and in a few days …
Can You Make It to the End?
by Kathy Harris A few weeks ago, award-winning Hollywood director Alejandro Monteverde stood in front of a small gathering in Nashville, Tennessee to celebrate an advance screening of his film “Little Boy.” Monteverde told the audience that he had initially expected to complete his screenplay in three months. But, he confided, since the birth of the project he and his …
Pruning
by Cynthia Ruchti If fascinates me that the Bible not only inspires and encourages writers, informs the character growth of the writer, but teaches writing techniques, too. The edits for my May 2015 novel-As Waters Gone By-brought that thought into clear focus. As I worked through the notes my editor made, I noticed throw away words or overgrowth that needed …
5 Steps to Meeting Your Deadline The Chunky Way
By Allie Pleiter The high volume of production demanded from a category romance author has made me a student of creative productivity. Wrangling an uncooperative muse to meet a deadline is one of the ongoing struggles of every writer, and we need all the help we can get. I’ve been teaching the Chunky Method all across the country for several …
3 Writing Cues from The Flash
By Beth K. Vogt “The Flash” is must-watch TV in the Vogt household. On Tuesday nights, my husband, teen daughter, and I hunker down in the family room eager to see what’s going to happen in Central City, home to Barry Gordon, a.k.a. The Flash, as well as his friends and enemies. I walk away from every episode thinking, “I …
Rewrites…
By Katherine Reay We like to call them edits. Or perhaps macro-edits, if we want to sound crafty. But sometimes, they are simply re-writes – a ponderous process to push the story where it should have already been. I’ve just been through a bout of these and it was a humbling experience. I tried to push myself and attempt/accomplish new …
The Rhino in the Writer: Thick Skin & the Value of a Critique Group
By Hannah Conway Join a critique group. Yes, that’s some of the soundest advice given to me regarding the wonderful world of writing. Yet, the next part of that advice? Well, it’s more on the strange side. Develop rhino skin. Join a critique group, and develop rhino skin. Let that sink in. I’ll wait while your nose finishes up that …
Ten Writing Productivity Mistakes Every Writer Should Watch Out For
By Edie Melson There are a lot of tasks we must master as we make writing a priority. But with these additional tasks, our productivity may drop. Learning how to juggle this multi-tasking is part of becoming a professional writer. Today I’d like to share 9 Productivity Mistakes to Avoid. 1. Multi-tasking. This one is a biggie. Yes, we have …
Three Tips for Writing a Book Blurb
By Melissa Tagg First of all, can we talk about how the word “blurb” is kinda funny? I mean, say it enough times and it sounds like you’re trying to mimic an animal. What animal, I don’t know. Nor do I know why a person would sit around saying “blurb” over and over. But still. Recently several friends and I …