by Lisa Larsen Hill I wrote my biblical novel during the pandemic. Looking back at my journey, I wish I could’ve told myself, “Don’t worry. Don’t lose sleep (unless your characters are talking to you), and you’re about to start an amazing journey better than you could’ve planned. God will guide you.” Here are my biggest lessons. Learn from your …
Is Fiction True?
by Suzanne Lee The Truth “Is this a true story?” asked the form. “Is it about someone you know?” “Is it about you?” Yes, I replied. No. It is fiction, and so, complete invention, and also, seamless truth. A million of us, nameless, have lived its myriad parts, fought, loved, wept, laughed, hoped, hurt, gone on when breath was pain, …
Writing Realistic Villains
By Darlene L. Turner What are the trademarks of a villain? Do they have dark, piercing eyes, a snarly grin, crooked-yellowed teeth, knobby fingers, an evil laugh? Or is there more to it than that? The antagonist can be the hardest character to write but also the most fun. How can we be successful at it? Here are some tips …
A Method for Character Finding
By Scott T. Barnes I’ve heard of a lot of different methods for creating characters. I’ve used extensive character sheets which ask questions both about the physical attributes of the characters, and also about their tics, their family, their psychological underpinnings, their flaws. I’ve read numerous how-to books, taken in-person classes and Zoom classes. I once went to a writer’s …
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 …
Write More Than Fiction to Sharpen your Writing Craft
By Cindy Ervin Huff We are fiction writers, weavers of stories that share messages of hope with the world. But there are times when our bucket of story ideas goes dry. These are the times we can turn to writing non-fiction using our fiction skills to add interest to those projects. I’m assuming you are in the Word daily and …
Three Ways Theater Elevates Your Writing
By Tisha Martin We’re familiar with the Shakespeare quote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” For six years, I worked in college theater, behind the scenes as costume production assistant. What a thrill assembling costumes, makeup, and hairstyles to fit a character’s persona and then to watch the actor become that character on …
Do Readers Care about Point of View?
By B.D. Lawrence @BDLawrence3 Lately, I’ve read a lot of books with different variations of point of view. There are the traditional private eye novels that are always first person. I’ve read third-person point of view. No surprise. There are novels with multiple first-person points of view – by chapter. Multiple third-person points of view, usually by chapter, but not …
Creativity Feeds Creativity
by D’Ann Mateer Do you ever feel like your well of creativity has run dry? I confess I am often in that place. There are many ways to refill your creative stores, but have you considered adding a creative hobby outside of writing? I know, I know. You need to write. That’s where you want to spend all your creative …