by Tamera Alexander When I became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in 2001 (or actually, American Christian Romance Writers back then), I joined this fabulous organization knowing little more than that I loved story and I wanted to learn how to write. Since then, God has brought many incredibly gifted people into my life who have graciously helped …
No More Sagging Middle!
by Denise Hunter It’s no secret to my writer friends that my least favorite part of writing happens during the middle of the book. They don’t call it the sagging middle for nothing, folks. If you’re not really careful, that baby will sag so low you’ll be tempted to Select All and Delete. Or at the very least, whine to …
YA Dystopia Recipe
by Bonnie S. Calhoun The latest reading phase for YA (and a lot of adult readers) is the dystopian genre. A dystopian is categorized by a world set in the future, unlike the world we live in today. I’m even reading one now where the only difference in worlds is that in the book’s world all people are mandated to …
Writing and Research
By Elizabeth Ludwig I never realized when I started out writing historical romance that I would need to develop an archeologist’s skill when combing the Internet. On top of crafting a good story, writing anything with historical significance requires a general knowledge and level of accuracy that readers of the genre have grown to expect. My latest novel, Dark Road …
Weaving Family History Into Fiction
by Gail Gaymer Martin A number of years ago, I connected with a family member from England who had spent years locating members of the Gaymer family as part of her genealogy research. The connection provided me with history going back to the 1600s with the family tree as well as true stories about the Gaymer family history. I learned …
Sometimes Things Change
by Deborah Lynne Hello fellow members of ACFW. Today I thought a good subject matter for my blog would be change. Change happens, even to the best of us, and sometimes it is a good thing-Sometimes it makes your story even better. I don’t know about you, but when I write a book, in my heart I know how it …
Writer Candy
by DiAnn Mills This blog is not about your favorite treat, although a bowl of M&Ms does seem to make the creativity flow at rocket speed. I want to talk about the kind of candy that sweetens our writing, the books that take our craft to the next level. I have personal favorites, and these are the ones I want …
What To Do About Slime
By Sarah Hamaker Remember that old Nickelodeon TV show for kids where someone got slime poured over his head? That image of the green, gooey stuff cascading out of a giant bucket onto someone’s head came to mind when I read a snarky online comment about me. The person knew nothing about me. But the anonymousness of the Internet has …
The Enemy-enemy
by Beth Shriver The cursor blinks and still nothing. The hours tick by and you’ve written two sentences. You take a break to check your email. The phone rings. Now its lunch time. You sit down to write and see the blinking cursor again. We’ve all had those days when procrastination sets in, and the harder you push, the further …
Writing in a Foxhole
By Cynthia Ruchti I admit it. I’m hyper-interested. I find everything fascinating and what isn’t fascinating is distracting. So imagine trying to focus to write a synopsis, a proposal, a chapter, a grocery list. Maybe you can identify. Melting icicles drip from the eaves troughs as I key in the words “icicles drip.” And although their rhythm and sparkling beauty …