By Martha Rogers This past week marked two important milestones in my life. Eighty years ago, on June 22, 1936 I was born to John and Dorothy Whiteman in Dallas, Texas. The second one came on the same day as my seventy-third birthday in 2009. My agent called and said Strang Communications wanted to offer me a contract and would …
Come Out of The Corner
By Chandra Smith In March I shared about a dream one of my ancestors had that inspired one of my manuscripts. I encouraged you to dream your stories. Anyone who has been writing for a while understands when discouragement comes, it is easy to give up and go sit in the corner of insecurity. I am a professional dog trainer. …
Collisions with Purpose
By Norma Gail Sometimes life is like getting rear-ended, bouncing around like a rubber ball as the car does a complete 360, colliding with the median and curb, making you wonder if it will ever stop. The only question my mind can form is “God, why?” The world around me became silent a little over a month ago. I can …
The Actions of Writing
by Sarah Hamaker Are you a writer? If you answered yes, do you believe, deep down inside, that you are indeed a writer? Too many times, we say we’re writers but our actions say another thing. For example, you meet someone for the first time and are asked what you do. Do you… A) Say you’re a writer? B) Say …
The Capacity to Obey
By Davalynn Spencer “What if I run out of things to say?” For some authors, this can be a serious concern. Other writers dip from an ever-flowing font and never worry about where the next words are coming from. I began my writer’s journey as a journalist and crime-beat reporter. Talk about unending fodder. But deep down in the creative …
Writing Through Grief
By Linda Robinson It’s hard to write anything when you’re grieving. I know that all too well. We recently lost our grandson, who was twenty-nine years old, had fought lymphatic cancer as a four-through-six-year-old, underwent two separate rounds of chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. Praise the Lord, he survived and was still cancer free at his death. But …
Five Activities for an Author in Waiting
By Teresa Tysinger I would argue that all authors are familiar with waiting. With no regard to genre, experience, position in life, or level of discipline, every author waits. We wait on inspiration to strike, for more time at the keyboard, or for an interested editor’s response. We wait on edits, reviews, sales reports, and website analytics. No matter the …
Guarding The Writer’s Heart
By Catherine West “You’ll need a thick skin.” “It’s not easy. Actually, it’s very hard.” “How do you feel about rejection?” This is what you might hear from seasoned authors if you ask about the writing life. I love this image. It accurately portrays the often frustrating and overwhelming world of the writer, and it makes me grin. Is it …
Stubborn Commitment
by Kathy Harris As young as seven or eight years old I knew I wanted to be a writer. If I could somehow transcend time and pay a visit to my younger self (hmmm, this sounds a lot like a recent James L. Rubart novel), I would probably find that I was dreaming of lazy days spent pouring my heart …
Redemptive Fiction
By Vikki Kestell Producing great Christian fiction is, as Gollum said, “Tricksy.” We members of ACFW desire to present the Gospel through our work. Along every genre and setting, bringing to bear all our tools and skills, whether we employ drama or humor, fantasy or realism, we strive to lift up Jesus and make him known. And yet, crafting effective, …