By Linda W. Yezak I usually invite another author to join us when Billy and I work the Blueberry Festival in Nacogdoches, Texas. Having someone to display their covers helps draw readers to our table, but it also gives us someone to talk to during the long periods when nothing is happening. One year, my husband watched carefully as one …
Staying Dependent
By Ian Acheson A couple of recent online discussions made me reflect on my writing journey. At the same time, I had been reading Exodus 33 where Moses on being commanded to leave Sinai demanded of God that he wouldn’t go anywhere without His presence. Let’s have a look at the passage: “Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say …
Creating a Crazy-Good Critique Group
By J.A. Marx We fondly call each other critters, and I consider this group of serious writers essential to my writing career. I’m sure online critique groups work well, but I prefer face-to-face. For one, as the facilitator, I like to observe the newbies to ensure they are holding up under the initial shock—reading their story out loud for the …
Awesome Writing Advice to Ignore Completely
By Dana Mentink Advice is worth what you pay for it, as my father would say. Famous writers are brimming with advice. Let’s take the subject of inspiration. Author Frank McCourt said in a Writer’s Digest issue, “Sit and quiet yourself. Luxuriate in a certain memory and the details will come. Let the images flow.” Luxuriate? Frank must not have …
Be Still
By Gabrielle Meyer Recently, I learned that one of the publishers I write for is closing their historical line. It was a blow I didn’t see coming as I watched my well-laid plans crash at my feet. After working for five years to get where I was, it felt like I was back at square one. I’d faced rejection letters …
Five Reasons to Write Flash Fiction
By Leslie DeVooght Six months ago, I had no idea Flash Fiction existed, and much less considered that it could help my writing career. All that changed at the Florida Christian Writers Conference, when I attended Lindsey Brackett’s class on writing Flash Fiction. By the end of the class, I was intrigued. When I got home, I ordered two books …
Self-Editing
by Lynn Hobbs The technique I use on self-editing a novel is different when I self-edit a short story. Seems like it should be the same, right? For many it is. Whatever works best for you is what I recommend. On a short story, I write the first draft, use spell check, and print the pages. I look for repetitive …
Twisting “Write What You Know”
by Gail Gaymer Martin When writers search for plot ideas, seasoned authors often respond write what you know, but I’ve found that this phrase means more than I’d thought. If we stick with what we know, our books could become boring, but one way to write what I know is through experiences. I’ve done this more than once. Being a …
Finding the Motivation to Write
by Susan A.J. Lyttek I love writing. You’d think after that statement that I would jump out of bed and head down to my notebooks and laptop with unbridled enthusiasm each morning. Not so. In fact, I will often putter around and do anything other than write. I will suddenly need to spend a lot of time in Bible study, …
When Social Media isn’t Social Anymore
By Norma Gail Any writer who handles the majority of their own social media is frustrated. Facebook was fun when it was just family and friends. Now that it’s a necessary part of my platform as a writer, I’ve developed an intense dislike for it. I can’t take the sting out of hours spent on social media instead of writing. …