By Marilyn Turk @MarilynTurk In this vast, unpredictable world of writing, do you ever wonder where you fit in? I do. Although we try to avoid labeling people, the publishing business does this for us. Here are some examples: 1. Prepublished? Published? Multi-published? 2. Are you with a major publisher? Small press? Independent? Hybrid publisher? 3. Are you an A-listed …
To Contest or Not to Contest?
by Angela Hunt Every year, the contests come around, whether you are published or unpublished. Should you enter? There’s a definite cost involved—not only the financial fee, but the cost of your time to prepare the manuscript, arrange for the mailing of books or pages, and the cost of wear and tear on your nerves. Are contests worth it? Way …
Writing Celebration into Our Stories
by Susan Lyttek @SusanLyttek Only within the last month, we have celebrated my dad’s birthday, our 40th anniversary, our son’s birthday, Father’s Day, and Independence Day. A lot of rejoicing and honoring has been going on. And that’s a good thing. Our God is a God of the holiday and celebration. As such, we need to weave such days into …
Reach THE END, Press SEND, Repeat
By Kathleen Y’Barbo-Turner @KathleenYBarbo As the author of more than 100 books, I often get asked how I manage to write all those books. My answer? One book at a time! I know, but it’s true. I also get asked for my secret to how I manage to reach THE END and press SEND time after time. Please understand I …
Living the Story of America’s Birth
by Christine Sunderland Today is Independence Day, our annual celebration of the Declaration of Independence, unanimously signed by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The second paragraph rings in our memory: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit …
Let Freedom Ring, Now and Forevermore!
by Ifueko Ogbomo @inspirologos No one enjoys captivity of any kind, but it stings ever so much more when the captive is innocent of the crime for which he is incarcerated. This was the case of Joseph—a servant thrown into the dungeons after his mistress falsely accused him of rape. More than a decade later, his divinely bestowed ability to …
Seeing the Bright Side of Rejection
By Lori Domingo @loridomingo22 To say that I was beyond excited to be nearing the finish line of my MFA program would be an understatement. I had in my hands a completed, full-length novel – my first in my genre of choice, Christian fiction. Part of the requirements for one of my classes was to research a favorite author in …
The Poetry in our Fiction
by Susan Lyttek @SusanLyttek On the day I’m writing this, I just wrote a personal blog post about our poetic God and how God uses poetry to communicate with us and through us. But the day this will be posting, I will be boarding a cruise ship with my husband to celebrate our fortieth anniversary and unable to see this …
What’s In Your Corner?
by Chandra Lynn Smith Writers are a different sort. If you disagree with me, ask your family what they think. In our family of six, my oldest son, the actor, is often the one who ‘gets it.’ The rest of the family gives me the deer-in-the-headlights stare. Writers use a specific type of pen, notebook, size lead or ink. WE …
What I Learned Selling my Books in a Bar
By Sara Davison @SaraDavison19 As soon as we walked into the room, we knew we were wasting our time. A friend of mine and I had been invited to have a book table at an event in our city. Neither of us knew much about what the event actually was, but since it was late November and they were looking …