By Dana Mentink How did it get to be October already? Honestly! Is it me or does the time fly by more quickly as we near the fall? If you can ignore the ominous jingling of bells in the stores and the endless rows of Christmas merchandise, this is the perfect season. Why? Because the weather is crisp, pumpkins are …
Help! Another author wrote my story!
By Anne Mateer Have you ever read a book with the sinking feeling that the story seems so very, very familiar? In fact, it seems almost an exact replica of the story you are writing or have written. A story this author knows nothing about, just as you knew nothing about theirs. The farther you read in the already-published book, …
An Avalanche of…Stuff
by Roxanne Rustand My husband claims that both he and our dogs are afraid to stay in my office for any length of time, as they fear for their lives amidst the floor to ceiling bookshelves taking up every centimeter of space not taken by doors, windows and my desk. The bookshelves are, I admit, overflowing. And then, there’s the …
Lies Writers Believe (and the Truth that Sets them Free!)
By Danica Favorite You might recognize the title concept from Susan May Warren’s teaching. The things holding our characters back are often the same things that hold us back as writers and as people. I remember thinking about a few issues in my own life, and the lightbulb kicked on. I believe lies. So much of my personal writing success …
The Squeeze
by Linda Brooks Davis Ever feel squeezed to your limit? I have. Many times. As a first-time novelist, I’ve learned what the squeeze produces in characters-and in myself. Take the recent ACFW Conference. My husband had massaged the family budget to life support status. A fresh idea had inserted itself into my WIP, calling like a siren as I shut …
Post-Conference Planning
By Danica Favorite Whew! Some of you are home from the ACFW conference, and you’ve gotten back into the groove of life. Some of you didn’t get to go and are sad about that. Either way, it’s time to make a plan for moving forward. The problem with going to a great conference like ACFW is that you learn a …
8 Ways to Minimize the Effect of Post Conference Blues
by Edie Melson I’ve been attending large writing conferences for over fourteen years and they all have ONE thing in common-post conference blues. It’s only natural. A week-long conference is an exciting, grueling experience. Just physical exhaustion alone could get anyone down-add to that the mental and emotional effects and you have the perfect set-up for a huge let-down. For …
3 Steps to Publication…Guaranteed!
by Lillian Duncan Let’s get right to the 3 steps to publication…guaranteed! As I’m sure you know all stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. So the perfect formula for writing a great book, meaning publishable is… best beginning + marvelous middle + explosive ending = GREAT STORY! (and a book contract). Succeed with those three easy steps, …
What’s In Your Corner?
By Chandra Lynn Smith We 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 us the deer-in-the-headlights stare. Writers use a specific type of pen, notebook, size lead or ink. …
The Road to Publication
By Katherine Reay A reader recently reached out to ask how she could know if she was ready to pursue publication. Did I have any advice? Wow! Tough question. Here’s what my advice boiled down to… 1. Give your work to beta readers – They can be family or friends, but they need to be honest. My first reader is …