by Traci Tyne Hilton Since publishing my scrappy little novel about the plucky blonde Realtor back in 2010, I have spent hundreds of hours studying Amazon, what makes it tick, and what makes writers with equal talent have such wildly different experiences. I have a handful of takeaways from my obsession with the Great ‘Zon that are worth looking at, …
Shop Local
By: Suzanne Kuhn, SuzyQ Shop local? It’s a concept many of us embrace, especially surrounding the holidays. It should be a lifestyle choice for all authors, regardless of season. For many authors it’s their dream to one day see their book on the shelves of bookstores far and wide. Although this is an understandable desire, it’s one that requires a …
Natural Imagery
by Elizabeth Musser “The best images come unbidden”-so said my high school English teacher after reading my first novel years ago. While kindly complimenting me on many aspects of the story, he pointed out that at times I ‘beat the reader over the head’ with imagery or symbolism, saying effectively “Don’t ya get it? Isn’t that cool?” His advice? Trust …
The Worst Publishing Advice Ever
by Tamera Alexander When I became a member of American Christian Fiction Writers in 2001 (or actually, American Christian Romance Writers back then), I joined this fabulous organization knowing little more than that I loved story and I wanted to learn how to write. Since then, God has brought many incredibly gifted people into my life who have graciously helped …
No More Sagging Middle!
by Denise Hunter It’s no secret to my writer friends that my least favorite part of writing happens during the middle of the book. They don’t call it the sagging middle for nothing, folks. If you’re not really careful, that baby will sag so low you’ll be tempted to Select All and Delete. Or at the very least, whine to …
Praying for Our Readers
by Cheryl Wyatt I recently saw the film Son of God, produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. One scene spoke to me with regard to praying for readers. I once asked God the best way to reach readers. His encouragement was, “just love them.” One way to do that is pray for them. In the film, a scene depicts …
Using the Gift
by Phyllis Keels When a dear friend edited a draft manuscript for me, I was grateful not only for her time and talents, but also for something else she did. She had the manuscript printed and spiral bound so she could hand write the edits. It wasn’t until later that I saw the value of her gift. After I had …
YA Dystopia Recipe
by Bonnie S. Calhoun The latest reading phase for YA (and a lot of adult readers) is the dystopian genre. A dystopian is categorized by a world set in the future, unlike the world we live in today. I’m even reading one now where the only difference in worlds is that in the book’s world all people are mandated to …
Writing Goals
by Lynn Hobbs Ever consider writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days? Without pausing to edit, your creativity continues as new dialogue and plots are recorded to expand your imagination and story. Or at least it did for me in 2011. I joined the National Novel Writing Month at NanNoWriMo.org and along with many others, I won. You are …
Writing and Research
By Elizabeth Ludwig I never realized when I started out writing historical romance that I would need to develop an archeologist’s skill when combing the Internet. On top of crafting a good story, writing anything with historical significance requires a general knowledge and level of accuracy that readers of the genre have grown to expect. My latest novel, Dark Road …