By Lisa Loraine Baker Fictional While House speechwriter, Sam Seaborn, sits at his desk writing with feverish intensity. At a point of frustration, he rips the sheet of paper off his tablet, crumples it, and pounds his fists three times on his desk. He chucks the offensive wad into his wastebasket, picks up his pen and starts anew. In a …
Your Wellspring of Strength for Writing
By Lana Christian I’ve been thinking about strength a lot lately—partially because COVID stole part of mine. My legs scream after I hike for a half hour. My brain still slogs at times. As I recoup those losses, I continue a demanding day job writing for physicians and researchers … and burn midnight oil pursuing my faith-based writing career. I …
Tips to Help You on Your Journey to Publication
By Amy Clipston People often ask me what the secret is to getting published. I don’t believe there is a secret to getting published, but I do have a list of activities that may help writers on their journey to publication. 1. Join a Writers’ Group I accidentally found the website for a local writers’ group while searching for a …
When There’s Nothing…There is God
By Jerri Kelley For weeks now I have been trying to write this blog. I have sat at my computer, tapped keys, erased words, left with nothing done. Prayed some more only to hear quiet. It is a privilege to write for each of you, and I want to offer you something worth reading, and instead, I have nothing. Maybe …
When Your Manuscript is Problematic
By Glynn Young I knew the manuscript would be tricky. The story is about what flows from a hoax. The hoax itself occupies a tiny part of the story; the ramifications are the story. But I knew this would not be an easy road, especially in today’s cultural climate. I anticipated I would be paddling a canoe against a raging …
What’s in a Name?
By Terri Gillespie A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, and grace rather than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1, TLV When people hear our name, what do they think? We may want people to think of what we have published or written, but that’s only a small part of who we are. What about our ancestors? …
The Power of a Writing Partnership: Part I
By Frank A. DiBianca Whether one is a beginner, a recently contracted novelist (like yours truly), or a seasoned, book-a-year pro, it’s hard to overstate the importance of having a writing partnership. A look at my own writing partnership may be illustrative. Now, I’m not speaking about professional (i.e., paid) services, which are unquestionably valuable and indeed indispensable. I mean …
Freeing Righteousness
By Christine Sunderland My latest novel, Angel Mountain (Wipf and Stock, 2020), calls each of the four main characters to seek meaning in their lives. It says despair not, for your Creator loves you. Despair not, for the law of love will free you. Despair not, for angels of righteousness are on the mountain and in the caverns, lighting the …
Famous First Words: The Power of the Opening Sentence
By Tara Johnson “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” ~ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Lewis, 1952) There’s nothing that sets mood, reveals character, raises intrigue and invites readers into your story like a power-packed opening. When I was editing my latest release All Through the Night, I studied the first chapter, sensing …
It’s All About Perspective
by Katie Powner As an author, I spend a lot of hours on writing-related endeavors. And I do mean A LOT. Not only working on stories—brainstorming, outlining, researching, drafting, editing, REPEAT—but also on social media, marketing, interviews, newsletters, and other similar activities. I can start to think that’s all pretty darn important some days. Pretty darn…real. But then a day …