By Cindy Patterson As writers, it’s our job to transport our readers into our stories so deeply, they feel as though they’re no longer reading. This is no easy task. We spend so much time working out our plots, scenes, conflict, and most important, creating our characters, that sometimes we want to spend more time in the history of our …
Change Your Motive, Change the World …and the industry
by J.A. Marx If you’ve been around ACFW for any length of time, you’ve heard the one question every agent and editor asks: “Who’s your audience?” The tighter we narrow down the audience for our story, the happier we make the marketing department. But at what point in writing a new book do we start thinking about our readers? God …
5 Steps to Using A “Q Factor”
by Ane Mulligan I learned about the Q Factor from James Scott Bell years ago. He’s given me permission to share it here. So what is the Q Factor? It’s a great tool that comes from Dr. Q, in the James Bond movies. He’s the one who gives Bond his gadgets, so during the crucial scene where Bond is dangling by …
In Prison Last Week
by Donna K. Rice The clanking sounds of the doors rolling closed behind actors entering a prison in the movies are accurate. Last week, I experienced hearing that noise behind me for the first time. It made me think about freedom, and the loss of it. Fortunately, my time behind electric, razor-wired fences was limited to a visit for a …
In Prison Last Week
by Donna K. Rice The clanking sounds of the doors rolling closed behind actors entering a prison in the movies are accurate. Last week, I experienced hearing that noise behind me for the first time. It made me think about freedom, and the loss of it. Fortunately, my time behind electric, razor-wired fences was limited to a visit for a …
Savor the Season
By Shirley E. Gould We, authors, polish our prose as our word counts rise in order to share our stories with the masses. It’s tedious work we’ve dared to under-take. I’ve been working on a contemporary romantic suspense series for some time now. Observing trends in the industry, I see authors adding a Christmas novella as a prequel to their …
Savor the Season
By Shirley E. Gould We, authors, polish our prose as our word counts rise in order to share our stories with the masses. It’s tedious work we’ve dared to under-take. I’ve been working on a contemporary romantic suspense series for some time now. Observing trends in the industry, I see authors adding a Christmas novella as a prequel to their …
5 Tips for Weary Writers in the Christmas Season
by DiAnn Mills No other time of the year can be more difficult to write than at Christmas. We writers are simply distracted with all the fun and excitement this time of the year brings. The season involves creativity, and we simply can’t resist the urge to simply BE in the moment. My excuses race from one exciting activity to …
5 Tips for Weary Writers in the Christmas Season
by DiAnn Mills No other time of the year can be more difficult to write than at Christmas. We writers are simply distracted with all the fun and excitement this time of the year brings. The season involves creativity, and we simply can’t resist the urge to simply BE in the moment. My excuses race from one exciting activity to …
Honor the Craft
By Henry McLaughlin James Scott Bell posted a blog called Don’t Ever Mail It In where he wrote about the attitude that we’ve reached a certain point in our writing where we don’t have to improve. What struck me most is his definition of a real writer. It’s someone who honors the craft and never settles. In this blog, I’m …