by Sarah Sundin @sarahsundin Shakespeare tells us, “All the world’s a stage.” For the novelist, the challenge is to take our setting from a cardboard cutout of a stage to illuminating depth. Choosing Your Setting The initial choice of setting is often driven by a story spark. We already know it’s set on the prairie in the 1880s or an …
I Wasn’t An Author, Until God Said, Write
by: Valerie Carr The story came onto my heart rather suddenly. It wasn’t something I had purposely prepared for or even considered writing. But I had a story in my head, and when I went looking for something like it in a book, I couldn’t find what I was searching for. If I came close, the story often contained content …
A Place for Fiction in Bible Study
by Dr. Dwight David Croy Perhaps it is the theologian in me that desires to write historical fiction. I do not want to go far away from the truth and principles in the unchanging, eternal Word of God. “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24–25). Historical fiction makes …
ACFW New Releases: September 2026
September 2026 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Amish Romance: Her Amish Christmas Rescue by Amy Grochowski — For years, Rose Burkholder has lived in the shadow of a family tragedy. But one snowy day, she strays from her usual path and aids an injured deer in the woods. And …
2026 ACFW Christian Fiction and Industry Awards
American Christian Fiction Writers is pleased to announce the 2026 award winners. The awards were presented Saturday, August 29th, at the ACFW Gala in Memphis, TN, during ACFW’s annual conference. American Christian Fiction Writers is a professional organization devoted to the craft of Christian Fiction and helping writers expand their knowledge of the publishing industry. The winners are as follows: …
ACFW 2026 Conference Prayer: Day 40
Please join us in today’s prayer, written by a member of ACFW’s Forty Days of Prayer team. Day 40 Focus: For those teaching workshops Scripture: Psalm 115:1 (NASB) — Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are generous and good at all …
Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice
by Elle E. Kay @ElleEKay777 It’s conference time once again. On Saturday night, many of us will gather at the annual ACFW Gala and await the announcements of the titles that will receive the prestigious honor of a Genesis or Carol Award. I didn’t expect much when I watched a clip of the announcements to see who finaled. I’d never heard my …
ACFW 2026 Conference Prayer: Day 39
Please join us in today’s prayer, written by a member of ACFW’s Forty Days of Prayer team. Day 39 Focus: Good weather for travel/travel safety Scripture: Luke 8:24b (NASB) — And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. Prayer: Father God, who writes our story, the One who created us …
Don’t Hold Back
By Chandra Lynn Smith This past weekend I did something new. And I was more than a little bit nervous about the endeavor. I don’t know about all writers, but I have a feeling many—maybe even most—of us are introverts. I recently learned a new personality type: extroverted introvert. People who are basically introverted but can adapt extroverted traits when …
ACFW 2026 Conference Prayer: Day 38
Please join us in today’s prayer, written by a member of ACFW’s Forty Days of Prayer team. Day 38 Focus: For those teaching Early Bird sessions Scripture: Proverbs 2:2 (NLT) — Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Prayer: Father God, we come before you with open hearts and open minds. We ask you to guide us and mold …