by Loretta Eidson The moment months of character building, plotting, and creativity end, anticipation builds. The novel is complete. With outstretched arms, take in a deep breath, shout for joy, and celebrate the success of a long writing journey. The sense of accomplishment feels grand. The next step is writing a lengthy synopsis and proposal. You tap away at the …
Beauty and Beholders
by Linda Brooks Davis Beauty is as subjective as beholders themselves. As writers, we’re tasked with showing, not telling, our characters’ traits—what we consider the good, the bad, and the ugly—-by how they speak, behave, interact with others, etc. But as readers, we may not determine what’s good, bad, and ugly. But the same images rarely emerge for both writers …
Diving into Writing
By Bettie Boswell My birthday is today and it’s a big one. I’ll be officially diving into the senior category as I turn sixty-five and look forward to retirement from teaching. As an educator of over thirty two years I’ve also learned to be a student, since keeping ahead of the changing tide of education can often be like trying …
The Triple: An easy way to add a hit of humor during revision
by Teresa Crumpton Some time ago, I braved a network of freeways to visit my grown son. He met me at the door with a toddler in one arm and a naked baby in the other. He stood back, welcomed me in, and said, “Can I get you something, Mom? Coffee? Tea? Diaper? That was my first taste of the …
In Everything Give Thanks—Even in “Plot Twists”
by Linda Thompson As authors, we love to hand our characters plot twists. And we expect them to face them with resilience and fortitude. But what about those times when life hands us our own wild cards? Something we expected doesn’t turn out like…we expected. 2020 has dished out plenty of those. Amen? For many, this past Thanksgiving weekend epitomized …
Christmas is Coming!
By DiAnn Mills Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please put something in the reader’s lap. I admit my rhyming skills aren’t the most inspiring, but Christmas is knocking on our doors. Writer, what can we do this year for our readers? I don’t want to raise your stress level and push you to re-examine your gift-giving budget …
2020 Vision
By Shirley Gould I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to put the year 2020 behind me. I want to decorate the Christmas tree and cook a turkey and call it done! Do you feel the same way? As a writer of Christian Fiction, I’m trying to do NaNoWriMo as a good ACFW member should, but things keep getting …
You’re Never Too Old
by Henry McLaughlin “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis Many times, I’ve met someone who has retired, and they sit like a gnome in the garden, gathering dirt and bugs and mold. They’re not thrilled, but don’t seem to have a clue what to do about it. That isn’t …
God’s Whispers in Theme
By Suzanne J. Bratcher “Do you know the theme of a story before you write it?” When a reader asked me that question, I answered “yes.” While I don’t always know the exact passage that will surface as the key verse, I know the theme will be an invitation to a deeper faith. Even though my answer seemed to satisfy …
Bonita
By Renee Hodges Our friends, Wendy and Eric, sold most of their possessions and moved to Nicaragua eight years ago because they felt God calling them to be missionaries there. They immersed themselves into the culture knowing only basic Spanish and started serving in several towns and villages. Their experiences have ranged from sublime to hysterical over these years. My …