By Karen H. Richardson Writers have many methods for developing their story. Some are very methodical and create detailed outlines. Some have a spreadsheet that lists chapters, summaries and potential word counts. While others use writing software such as Scrivener to write and organize their thoughts. Me, I’ve tried a little of all of these methods. More than likely as …
Linking Your Social Media Platforms
By Casey Herringshaw We’re told to be on as many platforms for social media as we can get our fist around. Not every social media is for every person and I would more encourage you to find two or three you really love and connects you with different people through each platform. Are there ways to maximize your time? Absolutely. …
Your Seven Staples as a Writer
by Cheryl Wyatt For this blog post, we’re going to do a little digging. The title mentions seven staples. In the case of this blog post, by staple, I mean the commodity of theme, or something regular that is unique to you and your writing. One definition of staple, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a chief commodity or production of a …
Facing Your Fear
By Tamara D. Fickas I was a shy child. The one who wouldn’t talk in first grade. A high school student no one remembered because I couldn’t carry on a conversation with anyone. In college, I wasn’t chose during Sorority Rush because I was so quiet. I was quite forgotten, unremarkable. The one thing I thought I did well was …
You Can’t Google Everything
By Suzanne Woods Fisher Desktop research is a wonderful tool. At a writer’s fingertips is a complete library, filled with information. So how important is it for an author to seek out primary sources? How valuable is it to visit places, to walk the roads where characters might have walked, to breath the air, to soak up the topography? It’s …
Should Christians Write Fiction that Challenges Social Injustices?
By Christen Civiletto Morris Great fiction has sometimes changed the way the world thinks. Readers may have identified so closely with a character’s plight that inaction at the end of the story was not an option. Or, an author’s vivid portrayal of filthy housing conditions, chain gangs, or slavery sparked a movement that fostered social change. Books like Harriet Beecher …
What I learned about writing from Samson’s Dad
By Melissa Tagg When I was a kid we had these VHS tapes of animated Bible stories. We watched them over and over. The one I remember most? Samson. And I think the reason I remember it so well is every time I watched it I had a crazy hope that it’d turn out differently. That Samson would be smarter. …
Distractions and Curiosity
by Ramona Richards I ran late with this blog post because distractions seem to be a rule of thumb at work right now. We’ve had a lot of transitions, and I’ve taken over the Christian Living line as well as the fiction line. Finding my way with new projects, many already in progress, has been slightly chaotic. In addition, I’ve …
Telling vs. Showing
By Bonnie S. Calhoun Telling vs. showing has always been one of the great debates of modern fiction writing. Telling an emotion feels detached and impersonal, and keeps the reader at arms length, by not sharing the emotion with them. To draw your readers into the new world, to make them feel what the characters feel is the goal of …
Conference Season Ahead
By Donna Schlachter As writers, we spend many hours in solitude, pecking away at the keyboard, looking up information on the Internet, or researching at the library. Conference season gives us the chance to come out of the office and get with like-minded writers. Depending on where you live, how much time you have available, and how much money you …