By Elizabeth Musser I received my Huguenot cross in December of 1994, given to me by my beloved husband, Paul. We spent many hours looking for just the right cross because it was extremely significant to me. It represented the dreams of a lifetime, the answer to decades of prayer. I was going to write a novel. Many believers in …
Closed doors and Open Windows- Liminal Space
by Tina Radcliffe January is the time of year when I am reminded of liminal space. I love to talk about this topic. It relates so clearly to our writing journey. Liminal comes from the Latin, limina, meaning threshold. So think of liminal space as the threshold. It’s that place after you leave one room and have not yet entered …
Writing Romance When the Real Romance Fails
By Kit Wilkinson How do you write a happily-ever-after when your own story has turned into a tragedy? When I landed my last novel contract, frankly, it was the first bit of good news I’d had in a long while. I’d prayed to be able to write this book for a few months, thinking it would be just what I …
Writing in a Foxhole
By Cynthia Ruchti I admit it. I’m hyper-interested. I find everything fascinating and what isn’t fascinating is distracting. So imagine trying to focus to write a synopsis, a proposal, a chapter, a grocery list. Maybe you can identify. Melting icicles drip from the eaves troughs as I key in the words “icicles drip.” And although their rhythm and sparkling beauty …
Mining Your Life for Stories
By Marta Perry A number of years ago, I taught an evening adult class on journal writing. When the time came at our second session for participants to read their work, I felt a little apprehensive. What if nobody was willing to read? Would I be left with an hour of class time to fill? I shouldn’t have worried. The …
Discouragement Prescription
by Becky Wade Just four short syllables, but discouragement can have enormous destructive power in the life of a writer. Most of us who’ve been writing for any length of time have encountered seasons of it. Here are just a few of the things that can cause the onset of a case of discouragement. Do any of these sound familiar? …
What if we Plot a Writing Path for the Year Ahead?
By Judy Christie Many writers start terrific stories by asking a simple question: What if? “What if?” leads novelists down the merry story path, scene after scene, chapter after chapter. Those words ignite fiction magic. Anything can happen. As you assess your writing for the year ahead, “what if” can also bear fruit in a practical career way. That question …
Letting Go…
by Katherine Reay You’re suffering from a double dose of me. When I signed up to be today’s blogger, I didn’t know I’d be yesterday’s interview. So if you want to know more about me, I think I am lurking in the archives from yesterday… But today, we chat writing and letting go. In fact, as of about an hour …
Island Girl
by Jennifer Sienes Almost seven years ago, I quit my “day job” as a middle school teacher to write full time. I’m well aware that it’s a blessing to be able to devote entire days to my writing endeavors when so many of my contemporaries must snatch an hour here or there between work, kids and life. Or as Monk …
Do We Judge a Book By Its Cover?
by Jill Elizabeth Nelson When we are choosing our next novel to purchase, how much of our decision is influenced by the cover? For me, covers certainly play a part in first attracting me to pick up one book over another. However, I like to read the back cover copy and perhaps sample a bit of the contents before I …