by Christine Sunderland Last month I finished an early draft of my novel-in-progress, Angel Mountain, 73,000 words. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sent it to a group of selected readers. These readers are hardy and sacrificial (and hopefully charitable) friends who have some connection with the themes in the novel. They will view the manuscript with fresh …
Deadlines: One of the Best Kept Secrets in Writing
by Kathy Harris A goal is a dream with a deadline. – Napoleon Hill Want to know a secret? I love deadlines! And I think you should too. Search online for the quote above, and you’ll find it, or one like it, attributed to a number of different people. I first heard it from one of my early writing mentors, multi-published author Kaye Dacus. Despite …
5 Ways to Destroy a Writing Career
by DiAnn Mills Writers receive blog posts daily that offer advice to build their careers. The publishing world has many sides, and each facet needs attention. We read— How to sell more books. How to strengthen characterization. How to write a synopsis. How to create a proposal. How to research and interview. How to increase exposure through social media. How …
Writer’s Pruning Season
By Darlene L. Turner My Father examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit. John 15:2 (VOICE) Spring is around the corner (hopefully!) and with it comes clean-up of debris left from the winter months. Every year, I pick …
When Emotions Cause the Block
By Chandra Lynn Smith I sat at my desk in January writing the blog post and I shared a little about my current project. Then the project was put on hold for a little while. What happened? Life. This winter has been one of heartbreak and my personal grief created a writer’s block. Last Fall I would have told you …
The Conference Portfolio, Part 1
By Lynne Pleau Are the days of the hardbound portfolio gone? Cool on-line portfolios make a lot of sense, but are they the only option for face-to-face meetings with editors during a conference? Carrying a portfolio is a great way to promote yourself, not just as a writer, but as a professional. A few years ago, during a last-minute conference …
My Ideal Reader
By Sarah Hamaker Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my ideal reader. Who is she? What does she like to do? What does she read? Where does she live? What is her family life like? What draws her to pick up a book? What does she like to feel after reading a book? I don’t have the answers to …
Cyber-Praying with Sisters
by Elizabeth Musser In my other life, as a pastoral caregiver to missionaries, I had started an online Skype study with a small group of women from our mission using the Companion Guide to Sharon Garlough Brown’s novel, Sensible Shoes. Although I did not know Sharon personally, since we were both novelists, I got up my courage and asked her …
The Power of Happy Moments
By Grace Hitchcock Sometimes it is tempting to allow drama and heartache to swamp our stories. Years ago, a favorite professor of mine would say over and over how “only trouble is interesting.” Today, I’d like to talk about how happiness can be just as moving/interesting as tragedy and that it is okay to let our characters be happy. Trouble …
Failure or Success – Our Choice
By Henry McLaughlin I experienced two what might be called failures recently. In the space of three days. On Saturday, I received a rejection from an agent. On Monday, a publisher declined to consider my manuscript. It was the same book in both instances. To me they were failures. Something about my writing did not strike either the agent or …