by Susan A. J. Lyttek @SusanLyttek Several years ago, I took a course on character development from a well-known Christian writer. Through the multiple session course, we were taught to create a psychological profile for our character, find pictures that looked like him or her, and create brief histories for prior to the story’s commencement. It was all good and …
Average, But Obedient
by Heidi Gray McGill How do I stand out and reach the top in the Christian Indie world when I’m average? There are authors with English degrees and years of experience under their belt. Others don’t need to choose between paying for an editor or rent. I have a decent number of followers on social media, but Twitter and TikTok …
A World of Inspiration
by Deborah Raney Last Wednesday I returned from the dream trip of a lifetime, one I wasn’t sure would actually happen before I died. It was our first time to travel overseas and we spent three glorious days in Paris, then wound our way through the United Kingdom—England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland—over the next ten days before returning to London to …
When Dreams Age
By Tanara McCauley @TanaraMcCauley I attended my first writer’s conference over a decade ago. I don’t know how I learned writer’s conferences were even a thing, but I remember packing up my work-in-progress and flying to Denver with a mini entourage of husband, young kids, and in-laws all cheering me on. Although already in my mid-thirties at the time, I …
Writing a Character with a Disability
by Kathy Maresca @so_tweet Lieutenant Dan. Would Forrest Gump have become an iconic movie without this fictional character? Because I am a rehabilitation counselor and a veteran, it is easy for me to understand why Lieutenant Dan has resonated with millions. Including a character who has a disability might make our novels even more relatable. When one out of five …
Writing a Dual-Time Novel
By Carrie Turansky @carrieturansky My latest novel, The Legacy of Longdale Manor, releases this month, and it’s my first dual-time novel. People have asked why I switched from writing historical novels to dual-time stories, so I thought I’d share a bit about that decision and what I’m learning in the process. I’ve written almost thirty novels. Earlier in my career …
God’s Inspiration and The Butterfly Effect
By Darlene Corbett @darlenecorbett.com Remember the Butterfly Effect? For those who forgot or are unfamiliar with its origins, here’s a quick reprisal: In 1963, the scientist Edward Lorenz proposed a startling idea. He suggested that the slight movements of a butterfly’s wings could create tiny changes in the atmosphere, causing a greater impact later. Many scientists viewed this as outlandish, …
A Word Fitly Spoken
By E.V. Sparrow @evSparrow A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. ~ Proverbs 25:11 (ESV) Through networking, I’ve witnessed some disturbing interactions among authors. Sometimes, these caused extreme discouragement for someone. I’m certain none of us wish to injure another’s soul and calling. Perhaps as authors or editors we’d say there are “wrong” …
My Favorite Editing Tool
By Cindy Ervin Huff @Cindyhuff11Huff If you are looking for an editing tool that will improve your writing and can be used in any genre of writing, I have the program for you. I love ProWritingAid because I get so caught up in my story I don’t notice typos and grammar errors and let’s not mention poor sentence structure and …
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? A Rebel Writer’s Guide to Breaking the Rules of Writing
By Kathleen Y’Barbo Turner @KathleenYBarbo When my daughter was in kindergarten, her teacher asked the children to interview an adult about his or her job and come back to class the next day with a report on what they learned. Hannah grilled me about my job as a writer, and I answered her questions about how I constructed my stories. …