By Darlene L. Turner Recently, my pastor did a series on evangelism and spoke on how we need to tell our stories to reach others for Christ. Our mandate is to go into the world and share the gospel. This made me think about why and what we write. Sometimes I get caught up in the writing journey—the pitches, time …
Six Tips for Defeating Self-Doubt
by Kathy Harris Fear. It can paralyze. And no one knows that better than a writer who is filled with self-doubt. We may sit down to put words on the paper, but nothing comes out. Or, even worse, we may not sit down at all. If you’ve ever had this happen, you’re not alone. Almost every writer will deal with …
With Gratitude
By Deborah Raney On this Thanksgiving Day, when we count our blessings and thank God for His goodness and mercy toward us, my mind turns to the blessings I’ve been given as a writer. These are just a few of the things I am grateful for each day as I sit down at my desk to do the work God …
Be Dramatic
By Linda W. Yezak Ever read in your own work or others’ about life-changing events that don’t seem to change the character’s life? Usually, it’s because the event isn’t dramatic enough. I can think of two reasons for this: (1) while we write, we are so focused on the action that we forget how the action affects the character, and …
Tips for Researching and Writing an Authentic Novel
By Amy Clipston I’ve written Amish fiction for more than ten years now, since I received my contract for my first book, A Gift of Grace, on Dec. 14, 2007. I decided to try to write Amish fiction after being inspired by a novel written by another Amish author. Since I grew up in New Jersey and had visited Amish …
From Book to Film
By Lenora Livingston Typically, a book is written prior to being adapted to a screenplay. However, I chose to do the reverse because of how my story developed. When I was in the heart of the greatest miracle of my life, in an instant I saw events from the three previous decades flash before me like a movie in fast …
From Breathing Britain to Immersion in the Civil War
By Glynn Young Researching a historical novel is more than a challenge; it feels like a career. I’ve written four novels in a series, with the main characters staying intact throughout. Buzzing around my head is the fifth, but I’m departing from the series to do something completely different. The new project is still a novel, but it’s not even …
Smell-O-Vision Research
By Kim Gilliland I am certain whatever genre of writing you favor there is some amount of research required. In today’s world that probably means getting online and typing in a phrase or word into your search engine. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo, pretty much anything you’ll ever need to know is instantaneously at your fingertips. …
Read to Write
By Cathleen Armstrong I have heard some writers say that they were never particularly great readers and that they never thought of becoming writers until it just…happened. I have to confess that on such occasions, and admittedly they have been rare, I regard the accidental writer with awe. How do you do that? How did you get up the nerve …
Productivity Hacks for the Procrastinating Writer
By Laurel Blount Self-discipline is…um…not my strongest spiritual fruit. So as a writer, time management is something I struggle with. I sit at my desk with every intention of writing, but then I just…don’t want to. I’d much rather check Facebook, make another cup of coffee, or rummage in my purse to see if I have any gum. In a …