Who’s Driving?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, revisions, tips, writing 6 Comments

by Steven Rogers @SRBooksForHope Writing a novel is like climbing into a car, pulling onto a long road, and driving until you reach what you think is the end. Along the way you will maneuver around twists, turns, unexpected side routes, and too many potholes to count. My guess is that most writers, even those who meticulously plan, are not …

The Writer in the Corner

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Critiques, Encouragement, tips, writing 3 Comments

by Chandra Lynn Smith I’ve been a professional dog trainer since 1988. A few years ago I trained a German Shepherd who had some dangerous fear issues. I stood at the kennel, leash in hand and greeted her. She growled. For those of you who read my opening sentence and thought what a fun job, well, not always. You know …

Making Good Use of Holy Week

ACFWEncouragement, Faith, writing 2 Comments

by M.D. House @real_housemd By way of confession, I’ve never shown a great interest in Holy Week. I need to repent of that. The resurrection of Jesus Christ—which we celebrate on Easter—and the events leading up to that seminal, world-shaping event (which had been prophesied from the beginning), is more important than any other topic we could think about or …

Embracing YOUR Path

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Fear/Doubt, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing 12 Comments

By Elle E. Kay @ElleEKay777 We’ve all been there. Whether we’re watching a virtual webinar, attending a conference, reading a craft book, or chatting with a fellow writer, we hear all about the BEST way to write a book. One person may tell us to throw out the plot, while another insists we plan every scene in detail. Some say …

You Have the Write to Remain Writing

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Fear/Doubt, tips, writing 6 Comments

by John Zelenski @johnzelenski As an author, sometimes I am told by fellow writers, “I just can’t find the time to work on my writing craft.” The truth is, we do live in a society where time is often in short supply.  We have jobs (possibly more than one), families, responsibilities, church, etc. And while the list can go on, …

Of Giving Up and Letting Go

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Fear/Doubt, Perseverance, tips, writing 9 Comments

By Melanie Rigney Is there a difference between giving up and letting go? That question was posed at a retreat I attended recently. The conversation was of particular interest to me. While others were spending the retreat in prayer, working on faith journey scrapbooks, or taking long walks, I was researching a nonfiction book that’s due to a Catholic publisher …

Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Friends of ACFW, writing 2 Comments

by Roxanne Hicks My husband and I live on the edge of the Rocky Mountain range and are blessed with abundant wildlife which also call this home. On any given day, we’re likely to watch a variety of animals scamper, or amble, through our pastures. One morning while sipping my coffee, I witnessed a good-sized flock of wild turkeys pick …

Small Things

ACFWACFW, Advice, Authors and writing, Deadlines, Encouragement, Faith, Time Management, writing 12 Comments

by Lisa Kelley @LisaKelleyWrite Sometimes, it can seem nearly impossible to find time to put words on the screen. If you have a full-time job like me, the hours you have to devote to writing may be few. Often, I set aside my vacation time as dedicated writing hours. Such was my plan this past December. I struggled last year …