by Christine Sunderland @Chrisunderland A note from Christine: This post is dedicated to Charlie Kirk and his family Today is September 11, or “Nine-Eleven” as we recall it twenty-four years later, when the infamous and horrific attack by radical Islamists on New York’s World Trade Center buildings woke America from her sleep. It was a path chosen by those pilots, …
Surfing on Ink
by Dr. Dwight David Croy Work follows an exciting idea when writing. Life is often full of excitement with highs of adrenaline. The workflow of a writer is exhilaration, write a bunch, slow down, back to reality, slow down, concentrate on the mechanics, reality. Just like a surfer who catches the wave, rides high, determined, initial ideas die out, the …
You’ve Gone to Conference. You’re Home. Now What?
by Rachel Hauck In my early days of conference going, I came home jazzed with ideas, energized from time spent with friends and fellow authors. I had notes from the workshops and was always inspired by the keynote speaker. In those way-back-days, the publishing world was fairly static. For an author to publish, he or she worked with an agent …
Take the Next Step
by Donald L. Reavis Twelve years ago today, my son and I reached the Canadian border on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Five months earlier, we had stood at the southern border, filled with excitement and apprehension. Ahead of us stretched a pathway that crossed sweltering deserts, snow-covered mountain passes, raging rivers, and scores of thunderstorms. After a few minutes …
Deadlines Can Be Deadly!
By Neva Bodin With great fear and trepidation (how’s that for cliché?) I signed up to do two blogs for ACFW! I am a writer, although I swallow loudly, labeling myself as one. It feels like saying that sets me up for all kinds of expectations I might not be able to meet—expectations from others and myself. However, in searching …
The New Ending Interruption
by Janice Haburn Shober How would you write a new ending to your book? This question arrived in my inbox when an editor said, “I don’t like your ending. Change it.” Certain scenes are crucial to a book, and the ending is one of them. I can recall endings to many of the multitudes of books I’ve read, even if …
What’s in a Name?
by Deborah Raney There are many different ways authors come up with names for their characters and even more stories surrounding character names. Here are just a few of my stories. I wanted 12 kids and had a list of 24 names for boys and girls long before my first baby was born. Some of those names that I didn’t …
Building Meaningful Connections as an Introvert
By Elle E. Kay With conference time approaching, if you’re attending, it’s time to think about the relationships we’ll begin while we’re there. If you’re not able to make it this year, there may still be a nugget or two that will resonate with you. If you’re an introvert like me, you may get overwhelmed by the thought of interacting …
Montana Magic
by Roxanne D. Hicks My memories of herding sheep for my grandfather, a Sioux Indian, during my childhood summers remain sweet and precious to me. My grandparents lived in the northeastern-most corner of Montana, nestled next to the borders of both Canada and North Dakota. Grandpa owned a flock of three thousand sheep, one of the largest in that area …
Lessons from Birthing a Second Book
by Linda Dindzans My most recent blog compared the release of my first book A Certain Man with birthing a baby. The next book in the series, A Certain Mercy, is undergoing content edits. This manuscript has readily confirmed that writing a second book is like expanding your family by the birth of another child. When I was expecting my …