By Ramona Richards One of my favorite authors will turn 82 at the end of May 2015. He’s suffered a lot of illnesses lately, including a stroke. Yet he’s still writing and selling his work, marketing it on social media and YouTube. In October, another favorite will turn 77, and she still writes three books a year, doing so by …
Dreams….
By Roxanne Rustand I was sitting here, debating about what to write for this blog post, when I thought about the wonderful authors, both inspirational and secular, who have influenced my own writing journey so much–whether through the wonderful books they’ve written, or the writing workshops they’ve given at conferences over the years. My very first writer’s conference was in …
Reaching readers: A tale of two authors
By Suzanne Kuhn They were the best of authors, they were the worst of authors. I have had the privilege of traveling and serving hundreds of authors over the years. These range from self-published to multi-published New York Times bestselling authors. I have noticed three things that make some authors either epic or tragic. Timeless Authors Embrace Change. The only …
What Happens Next?
By Karen H. Richardson Writers have many methods for developing their story. Some are very methodical and create detailed outlines. Some have a spreadsheet that lists chapters, summaries and potential word counts. While others use writing software such as Scrivener to write and organize their thoughts. Me, I’ve tried a little of all of these methods. More than likely as …
And the Greatest of These…
by Kathy Harris Read today’s headlines and you quickly realize there’s a lack of love in our world. Not the Fifty Shades of Grey kind of love. Or even the self-promoting, entitlement kind of self-love that our culture encourages. Our world needs more of the agape love that Jesus instructed us to have for one another. What does that have …
Chasing Inspiration
By Kariss Lynch In an information age, inspiration is often muted, masked, and downright frustrating to identify. It can be even more difficult to figure out where to start when beginning your writing career or beginning a new writing project. Inspiration then becomes a process of discovery. Something you search for until the story begins to fall into place. But …
Should Christians Write Fiction that Challenges Social Injustices?
By Christen Civiletto Morris Great fiction has sometimes changed the way the world thinks. Readers may have identified so closely with a character’s plight that inaction at the end of the story was not an option. Or, an author’s vivid portrayal of filthy housing conditions, chain gangs, or slavery sparked a movement that fostered social change. Books like Harriet Beecher …
Correct Order
By Lynn Hobbs Usually, I write and edit one book or one short story at a time before beginning another. Like some authors, I have a lot of interruptions. In trying to allow for a smooth transition to ‘jump back to where I left off’ in whatever I am writing, I list ideas I want to consider before I stop. …
Telling vs. Showing
By Bonnie S. Calhoun Telling vs. showing has always been one of the great debates of modern fiction writing. Telling an emotion feels detached and impersonal, and keeps the reader at arms length, by not sharing the emotion with them. To draw your readers into the new world, to make them feel what the characters feel is the goal of …
Can Readers See Your Heart?
By Lisa Godfrees As writers, it’s safe to say that we all have a heart for a good story. Otherwise, why do we write? And why would writers be some of the most avid readers? As Christian authors, what we give our readers has to be more than a great story. People read Christian fiction because of the hope it …