By Loretta Eidson Chefs prepare some of the best tasting layered foods. We have lasagna, nachos, casseroles, salads, pizza, etc. Just the mention of those delicious dishes makes our mouths water. Not to mention topping it off with extra cheese. All the ingredients, appropriately measured and blended, result in a lip-smacking delight. We won’t forget the satisfying taste that tickles …
Let Down the Nets
by Lisa Kelley @LisaKelleyWrite Writing is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Even so, the quest most of the time is rewarding. But sometimes the doubts mushroom, and I think my efforts are futile. Have you felt this way? Maybe you, like me, have said, “Lord, I’m done. I have nothing more to give.” Like me, you may have had …
How to Kill Your Characters Without Physicians Cringing
by Jenny Powell MD When I researched for my manuscript about the Apostle Paul, I wanted to know the impact of stones thrown at a body. How did stoning cause death? How far away from a body did someone have to stand to do the most damage? How does the body respond to such repeated insults? Of course, the scientist …
Building a Home, Building a Novel
By Diane E. Samson My husband and I have been in the process of building a home for the last 18 months. Our new place will be ready in December, and as all the various design pieces come together so it looks like an actual home, I can’t help but notice the similarities this experience has been to bringing a …
A New Writer’s Journey: Five Tips to save you a lot of heartache!
by Lisa Larsen Hill I wrote my biblical novel during the pandemic. Looking back at my journey, I wish I could’ve told myself, “Don’t worry. Don’t lose sleep (unless your characters are talking to you), and you’re about to start an amazing journey better than you could’ve planned. God will guide you.” Here are my biggest lessons. Learn from your …
Writing Realistic Villains
By Darlene L. Turner What are the trademarks of a villain? Do they have dark, piercing eyes, a snarly grin, crooked-yellowed teeth, knobby fingers, an evil laugh? Or is there more to it than that? The antagonist can be the hardest character to write but also the most fun. How can we be successful at it? Here are some tips …
Here I Am, Send Me
By Janet Morris Grimes Writing is a rather lonely sport, as we all know. In order to be a successful author, we must live within disciplined parameters that require us to keep our distance at times. While we’d love to accept every invitation from every family member or friend who is hosting a gathering, we’ve lived that life. And though …
A Method for Character Finding
By Scott T. Barnes I’ve heard of a lot of different methods for creating characters. I’ve used extensive character sheets which ask questions both about the physical attributes of the characters, and also about their tics, their family, their psychological underpinnings, their flaws. I’ve read numerous how-to books, taken in-person classes and Zoom classes. I once went to a writer’s …
Three Word Pictures to Describe my Writing
by Dwight David Croy My writing thought life is best described as a percolator, puzzle, and a microscope. Time is needed to think, think, and think before writing. A percolator cannot be rushed but it is working on that perfect cup of coffee. My generation is from the “Java Jive” sung by the “Ink Spots.” Most words in that song …
Write More Than Fiction to Sharpen your Writing Craft
By Cindy Ervin Huff We are fiction writers, weavers of stories that share messages of hope with the world. But there are times when our bucket of story ideas goes dry. These are the times we can turn to writing non-fiction using our fiction skills to add interest to those projects. I’m assuming you are in the Word daily and …