by Lisa Kelley @LisaKelleyWrite Writing is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Even so, the quest most of the time is rewarding. But sometimes the doubts mushroom, and I think my efforts are futile. Have you felt this way? Maybe you, like me, have said, “Lord, I’m done. I have nothing more to give.” Like me, you may have had …
Singing the Song of Thanksgiving
by Christine Sunderland There is a white cross on the hillside of Angel Mountain, aka Mount Diablo, the setting for one of my novels. I have learned recently that it is a place of prayer and meditation, a light in the dark. We can see the cross from our house, a moving reminder to pray and give thanks, and on …
The Sweet Agony of Waiting
By Glynn Young @gyoung9751 A publisher asks to see your full manuscript. You read it three more times, trying to eradicate all typos, missing words, unclear passages, and confusing lines. You attach it to a politely professional email, which you hope disguises what you’re experiencing in equal measure: hope, fear, and anxiety. You hit send. And then you wait. Waiting …
Three Word Pictures to Describe my Writing
by Dwight David Croy My writing thought life is best described as a percolator, puzzle, and a microscope. Time is needed to think, think, and think before writing. A percolator cannot be rushed but it is working on that perfect cup of coffee. My generation is from the “Java Jive” sung by the “Ink Spots.” Most words in that song …
Critique Groups! Who Needs Them?
By Loretta Eidson Critique groups are a must for all writers regardless of status or number of published books. No one is beyond the need for a fresh set of eyes to read over their written work. Critique group members search for misspelled words, typos, grammatical errors, punctuation, and a host of other potential problems will help polish the manuscript …
Why Writing Matters
by Jenny Erlingsson Focusing on writing during stressful seasons sometimes seem like the last thing we should do. My family recently made a huge move from Iceland to the states for a season, and it has been a whirlwind these past few months. Even with the recent book launch of Her Part to Play and lots of book ideas brewing, …
Just Write Already
by Mark David Pullen Have you ever sat down to write and hit a mental roadblock? Maybe it was for your new manuscript, an article, or that guest blog spot that could change the course of your career as an author forever. In any case, writer’s block is never a welcome state of mind. Most writer’s block cases can be …
The Value of Creating White Space in Your Life
By Lisa Jordan @lisajordan One of the first writing rules I learned was to be sure there was plenty of white space on the page. At that time, I wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but as I grew in my craft and my abilities, I learned it meant having a good balance of dialogue and narrative to ensure the …
Singing the Song of Freedom
by Christine Sunderland Today, July 9, is my birthday, nine months after my bones took flesh, searched out and known by the Lord of Hosts. Bursting into the world with my first breaths, five days after America’s Independence Day in 1947 (in Fresno, California), I left behind the comfortable creche of my mother’s womb. My mother, a graduate of Biblical …
When You Write With God
by Chandra Lynn Smith Some days the writing flows and I amaze myself with the inspiration of my words. And then…some days…well probably more than some days I feel more like the character on Grey’s Anatomy who decided to eat his manuscript because it was terrible. (Of course, that is not the best thing to do with a terrible manuscript!) …