By Ian Acheson Golly gosh, I’ve struggled writing the sequel to Angelguard. The basic story of Angelguard fell out of me. I was a complete novice (well, I still am really) but the story just kept coming. I’d turn up to the blank page and out it would come. Nine months later it was done. The first draft. Not to …
We All Need A Little Brave
By Catherine West When Sara Bereilles’ song Brave (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQsqBqxoR4) first came out, the tune got me. It’s catchy. It makes you want to get up and dance. But then I started really listening. And the words . . . yes. Those words. Ooo, boy. Hit me hard. Because I knew. I wasn’t brave. Not by a long shot. And maybe …
Summer Writing
by Roxanne Rustand Howdy from the Midwest! I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend holiday, and had a chance to be with family or friends. Can you believe that the holiday has already come and gone? How can summer be flying by so quickly? Though for those of you going to the wonderful ACFW conference in …
A Lot Like Life
By Kariss Lynch Four funerals in six weeks. Six weeks of grieving and celebrating and laughing and crying. Six weeks of wrestling with the Lord and wondering why. Six weeks without writing, because how do you write when you can’t iron out the journey or the answers to the journey in your own head? When you only have the emotional …
Beautiful Scars
By Molly Jebber I had two blood red spots removed from my face. The doctor warned they may turn black and blue in a few hours, but they would disappear in a day or two. After they were removed, my face was warm and red. I went shopping for a gift. Of course, I had to stop by the shoes, …
A Brief Writing Experiment
By Lynn Hobbs Learning new writing methods can be rewarding. I noticed several men writing a tighter style, and it did get my attention. They mentioned more white space on a page drew readers from a younger generation. What were they doing? What happened? Not any back story. Later in the book it could be introduced, but only a small …
Come Out of The Corner
By Chandra Smith In March I shared about a dream one of my ancestors had that inspired one of my manuscripts. I encouraged you to dream your stories. Anyone who has been writing for a while understands when discouragement comes, it is easy to give up and go sit in the corner of insecurity. I am a professional dog trainer. …
Tips to Help on Your Journey toward Publication
By Amy Clipston People often ask me what the secret is to getting published. I don’t believe there is a secret to getting published, but I do have a list of things that will help writers on their journey to publication. 1. Join a Writers’ Group I accidentally found the website for a local writers’ group while in search for …
Help! I’m Lost and Can’t Find My Way
By Ane Mulligan I’d hit the 43,000-word mark in the fourth book in my Chapel Springs series. I knew the characters like I know myself. Better even, since I don’t pretend they don’t have faults. But the story stalled on me. It lacked the usual “feel” of its sister books. It was missing the heart. I had to force myself …
Story Structure
By Katherine Reay As I begin a new story, my mind turns to structure. No matter how much I say I’m an “organic” writer, I need solid hooks on which to hang my musings. I can get lost easily if the basics of the road aren’t cleared in front of me. Whether you think the “rules” of structure are important …