By Suzanne Kuhn They were the best of authors, they were the worst of authors. I have had the privilege of traveling and serving hundreds of authors over the years. These range from self-published to multi-published New York Times bestselling authors. I have noticed three things that make some authors either epic or tragic. Timeless Authors Embrace Change. The only …
What Happens Next?
By Karen H. Richardson Writers have many methods for developing their story. Some are very methodical and create detailed outlines. Some have a spreadsheet that lists chapters, summaries and potential word counts. While others use writing software such as Scrivener to write and organize their thoughts. Me, I’ve tried a little of all of these methods. More than likely as …
Linking Your Social Media Platforms
By Casey Herringshaw We’re told to be on as many platforms for social media as we can get our fist around. Not every social media is for every person and I would more encourage you to find two or three you really love and connects you with different people through each platform. Are there ways to maximize your time? Absolutely. …
Author Influencer and Reader Groups: Why Do Readers Join?
By Carrie Fancett Pagels The writing life isn’t just about sitting in your cave pounding out a stellar book. Writing lifestyles includes book promotion. So what makes a reader want to join an influencer/reviewer group? Terminology: Influencers promote an author or a new release through social media. Readers/reviewers accept a book and read it, determine if it is worthy of …
Your Seven Staples as a Writer
by Cheryl Wyatt For this blog post, we’re going to do a little digging. The title mentions seven staples. In the case of this blog post, by staple, I mean the commodity of theme, or something regular that is unique to you and your writing. One definition of staple, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a chief commodity or production of a …
Facing Your Fear
By Tamara D. Fickas I was a shy child. The one who wouldn’t talk in first grade. A high school student no one remembered because I couldn’t carry on a conversation with anyone. In college, I wasn’t chose during Sorority Rush because I was so quiet. I was quite forgotten, unremarkable. The one thing I thought I did well was …
And the Greatest of These…
by Kathy Harris Read today’s headlines and you quickly realize there’s a lack of love in our world. Not the Fifty Shades of Grey kind of love. Or even the self-promoting, entitlement kind of self-love that our culture encourages. Our world needs more of the agape love that Jesus instructed us to have for one another. What does that have …
Chasing Inspiration
By Kariss Lynch In an information age, inspiration is often muted, masked, and downright frustrating to identify. It can be even more difficult to figure out where to start when beginning your writing career or beginning a new writing project. Inspiration then becomes a process of discovery. Something you search for until the story begins to fall into place. But …
You Can’t Google Everything
By Suzanne Woods Fisher Desktop research is a wonderful tool. At a writer’s fingertips is a complete library, filled with information. So how important is it for an author to seek out primary sources? How valuable is it to visit places, to walk the roads where characters might have walked, to breath the air, to soak up the topography? It’s …
Should Christians Write Fiction that Challenges Social Injustices?
By Christen Civiletto Morris Great fiction has sometimes changed the way the world thinks. Readers may have identified so closely with a character’s plight that inaction at the end of the story was not an option. Or, an author’s vivid portrayal of filthy housing conditions, chain gangs, or slavery sparked a movement that fostered social change. Books like Harriet Beecher …