by Melissa Tagg There’s not a whole lot I can brag about when it comes to all things domestic diva-related. It’s not that I can’t do things like clean and cook-I just don’t generally have time to keep up in a way that wouldn’t horrify Martha Stewart. But one thing I can be at least a little proud of: I’m …
Details, Details
by Harry Kraus Let’s talk about the “fictional dream.” What makes people willing to suspend belief and enter into a make-believe world? How is this done successfully? I’ve been contemplating this recently as I’ve been reading the young adult novels beginning with Divergent. Veronica Roth creates a world very different from our own, one which requires the reader to accept …
Reflections of Tone
by Jennifer Sienes I’ve written enough now to realize that there’s been a pattern in not only what I write, but in how I write – no, I didn’t get the Tread Desk I’ve had my eye on for some time-I’m referring to that somewhat elusive tone. At the end of my first year as a middle school teacher, I …
ACFW REWIND: Make a Plan and Write it Down!
(Editor’s Note: Today, ACFW re-runs a worthwhile post from the past, in this case from August 2012, in what we call ACFW Rewind, highlighting previous posts that deserve a second look. ) by Lacie Nezbeth At a recent, local writer’s conference, the attendees (myself included) were taught by New York Times bestselling author Susy Flory, and one of the most …
First Drafts
by Katherine Reay I’m so excited to be here. I visit this blog regularly and always find something new, instructive or inspirational to help me, my writing, and my walk… So the privilege to contribute is just that, a privilege. Dear Mr. Knightley is out in the world. Lizzy & Jane is in copy edits. And I am beginning my …
Finding that Masterpiece Within
by D.L. Koontz One of my favorite secular movies is Romancing the Stone. Kathleen Turner plays a lonely romance novelist named Joan Wilder. In the opening scene, she’s hunched over a keyboard crying as she writes a tear-jerking scene (that’s me). She’s so engrossed in her writing, she ignores her irritated cat (also me). When she finishes, she hurriedly types …
Iron Sharpening Iron
by Tamera Alexander “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 Deborah Raney and I have been writing critique partners for more than ten years, ever since we met at the first ACFW conference. While not all critique partners become friends, friendship has been a natural outgrowth of our working relationship, and I’m so grateful. Over the …
Writing Under Deadline
By Donna Schlachter In the writing world, there are two kinds of deadlines: the ones imposed by others; and the ones imposed by you. The deadlines that others set for you in your writing might include a contest entry date; a critique group submission due date; a timeframe for the submission of a proposal and first three chapters to an …
LIES! The Foundation for Believable Motivation
by Ane Mulligan If y’all have been around me for more than ten minutes-okay five minutes, you know I’ll start talking about writing, and if I start on writing, I’ll move into motivation pronto. That’s because through mentors and classes I’ve taken, I’ve learned that’s the foundation of great characters and plotting. The first one was Rachel Hauck, who asked, …
Quit Clichés Cold Turkey
By Myra Johnson Sitting on the fence about using clichés? Here are 50 reasons to quit cold turkey! Clichés are the bane of a writer’s existence. We’ve all used them, both in our everyday conversations and in our manuscripts. Clichés are comfortable as an old shoe, phrases we use in a heartbeat because the meanings are usually crystal clear. Clichés …