By Loretta Eidson Last Sunday, Steven Goudeaux, pastor of our East Memphis church, made several powerful statements during the morning service, but one, in particular, caught my attention. “You can change your past,” he said. I lifted my eyebrows and listened while I waited for his explanation. My curiosity piqued. There’s nothing too difficult for God, but how would Pastor …
The Writing Marathon
By Mary Lou Cheatham Everyone has a unique story. Each author travels at a different pace along the writing journey. The joy of running along in the pack may not be as exciting as winning, but what a delight it is to be in the race. The process has its own rewards which some consider better than the thrill of …
The Best Valentine
By Kathy Parish Let us remember this Valentine’s Day the greatest love story of all, the romance of God’s love for us and the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, as He woos us to relationship with Himself. It’s Valentine’s Day, the annual (commercialized) celebration of love and affection. Traditional gifts, tokens to express one’s devotion, include flowers (in particular, …
Change Your Motive, Change the World …and the industry
by J.A. Marx If you’ve been around ACFW for any length of time, you’ve heard the one question every agent and editor asks: “Who’s your audience?” The tighter we narrow down the audience for our story, the happier we make the marketing department. But at what point in writing a new book do we start thinking about our readers? God …
What Do Some Experienced Writers Have in Common with Mother Guppies?
By Mary Lou Cheatham Our first aquarium held only five gallons, but we loved it. At the pet shop we bought some guppies. The clerk said, “Better buy one of these.” “What is it?” “It’s a trap to keep the mother from eating her babies.” It was a rectangular plastic device that floated near the top of the water. We …
When Is It Too Late?
By Cynthia Herron Today I wanted to approach the elephant in the room. Because success is often a popular topic at writer’s meetings and conferences, obviously, it’s something that’s near and dear to our hearts. While most of us have varying opinions of what success looks like, we can probably agree on one thing. We wish we had more time. …
Time Waits for No Writer
By Christa MacDonald I’ve been thinking a lot about ‘time’ in the last few weeks. It seems to speed up after Thanksgiving. There aren’t enough hours in the day or dates on the calendar before Christmas. The end of the year looms ever closer and there’s always too much to do and too little time in which to do it. …
“This is the Way; Walk in it”
By Michelle Shocklee A new year is upon us. I imagine most of us have hopes and dreams for 2018. Perhaps you’d like more book contracts (wouldn’t we all!), more book sales, or maybe you want to finish that first novel. Do you make resolutions? I’m not one to resolve to diet or exercise (mainly because of past failures to …
Don’t Be That Way!
By Sarah Sundin “Don’t be so sensitive!” the elementary school playground attendant snapped at me after I’d dissolved in a puddle of tears over a slight from a classmate. “Stop exaggerating,” my mother said. “You’re always so dramatic.” “Sarah daydreams too much,” my teacher noted on my report card. If you’re a writer, chances are that you heard one or …
Receiving to Give
By Susan A.J. Lyttek I chose to write this blog post because today is my birthday. Receiving gifts is fine, but I tend to get a lot more out of giving and sharing. It’s the same with writing. Don’t get me wrong, I would love for one of my books to become a best seller or to touch people through …