by Jennifer Sienes I lack imagination. A bold confession for a writer, wouldn’t you say? It’s true. That’s why I don’t do fantasy-don’t write it, read it, or watch it. “What do you mean you’ve never seen Lord of the Rings?” my husband of seven years asked me. “But you’ve read the trilogy, right?” Sorry to disappoint. But, no. I’ve …
GMC. And the greatest of these is: Conflict
by Maureen Lang There have been countless books, blogs and workshops devoted to the topic of conflict, mainly because of the three biggies in fiction writing, Goal, Motivation and Conflict, the greatest of these is conflict. Without conflict, the goals of your character would come too easily, with or without proper motivation. And then where would your story be? Over …
Ten Reasons Why You Should Attend ACFW’s National Conference
by Pam Meyers Since ACFW’s first national conference 2002 in Kansas City, MO, I have not missed one conference. I’ve watched it start out in a Kansas City hotel with 100 attendees (including the presenters) to well over 600 attendees today. Why do I like the ACFW conference so much? Here are ten reasons-although I could go on longer. 1. …
Creative Minds and the Need for Sleep
by Mary Ellis Read any author interview or listen in on any conversation between writers and you will hear one universal theme: There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Between day-jobs, spouses, kids, houses that need to be cleaned, and meals to get on the table-how does a writer find enough time to write? Once you’re …
Lessons From Sherlock
by Tessa Afshar The British love their Sherlock Holmes. They love him so much that they have built a flat on Baker Street that supposedly once belonged to this fictional character. So it’s not such a shock that they would come up with another Sherlock Holmes television production. Personally, I can’t get enough of it. There are several reasons for …
Creating Characters Who Breathe
by Robin Lee Hatcher I love discovering the inner workings of my characters. I love it when they come to life and begin telling me their stories. I love it when they become my companions and my friends. Writers often fall into two camps: those who develop their stories around plots and those who develop their stories around characters. But …
Creating Careers for our Characters
by Lisa Jordan Last week I requested career options for the hero in my next book on my Facebook author page. While reading through my fans’ posts, I was amazed by the diverse occupations they suggested-boat builder, hospital administrator, youth pastor, zoo manager, etc. Meeting someone for the first time, one of the first questions you may ask is, “What …
Take a Stand
by Suzanne Kuhn I recently worked a return engagement with a regional charity that hosts an annual Book and Author Dinner. This event features four New York Times best selling and/or sought after regional authors. The first year I participated in the event, I asked the charity if I could provide the authors with my SuzyQ fine-tip, autograph Sharpies to …
Five Things My Dad Taught Me About Writing
by Rebecca DeMarino I love listening to family lore and studying genealogy. The discovery of threads that weave together to make us unique is a thrill and the fabric for my novels. I like to think that I inherited my love of baking and gardening from my mom’s Horton side of the family. With my dad, I share a love …
Settings
by Dana Mentink Settings! They are one of the things that compel me as a reader and writer. Bring me to a new world, a place I’ve never been and I’m fascinated. My early years found me steeped in Middle Earth, Oz, and Narnia. More recently, the Life of Pi swept me away to a mysterious carnivorous island. Ironically though, …