by Dr. Richard Mabry Writers do research. It’s part of the process. We don’t want to write about a car going west on Commerce Street in Dallas when the street is one-way eastbound. So we are careful to check those things out. And when we don’t, believe me, there are readers out there who will let us know about our …
Getting Away from it All…to Write
by Mary Ellis When most people think getaway weekends, or week-long vacations somewhere warm and sunny or even day-trips into the countryside, they want to disconnect from work. But after writing a dozen books, I’ve discovered out-of-office experiences can greatly enrich my stories. As writers, we spend too much time staring at computer monitors, the wall in front of our …
New Releases – February 2012
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Love Finds You in New Orleans by Christa Allan — (Historical Romance from Summerside Press – Guideposts). Picture Perfect Family by Renee Andrews — Missionary Daniel Brantley has returned to Claremont, Alabama to raise his orphaned nephew; however, Mandy Carter, the woman whose proposal he …
Building a Better Relationship with your Editor
by Melissa Endlich An editor/author relationship can be just like a marriage-to get the most from it, you need to work at it. Here are some hints and tips to help create a great working relationship with your editor! • She likes my book. Now what?: Everyone wants to get off on the right foot with their editor. After you’ve …
An Agent’s Tips for Your Manuscript
by Mary Sue Seymour The Seymour Agency I am looking for Amish romances and also inspirational historical romances. I have never circulated an Amish romance or inspy historical I haven’t sold to a major Christian publisher. I like to see the first fifty pages, a synopsis and an author’s bio. Some authors seem to be a bit fearful about writing …
How You Respond to Change
by Allen Arnold Thomas Nelson, Inc. Let me cut to the chase. Do you embrace change or worry about it? Does the topic of change stir butterflies in your stomach or a sense of adventure in your soul? If you default to worry, The Publishing Industry will certainly keep you busy. Christian Fiction is unquestionably in a state of rapid-fire …
When Everything Stalls
By Sandra Heska King My first novel-to-be stalled last summer. Then I took a hammer to it. I haven’t even made writing goals for this year. Gasp! Well, except for pouring out words almost daily on my blog. June. I think June will be a good time. I had goals last year, but they dried up. I know. I know. …
Close POV
I’m a big fan of first person novels. Though it seems hard for a writer to break into the market unless we have a story with two or more points of view. Still, many first person stories receive literary acclaim. Steven James has won several Christys for his books. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, and Robin Jones Gunn’s …
My Word for 2012: Entre-Author
by Dina Sleiman The new hot thing this year seems to be coming up with one word to encapsulate your goals. Even before I noticed this trend, I had spotted my word in a quote from Mary DeMuth on Author Media. Are you ready for it…Entre-author. A friend asked if this had something to do with an author entering, like …
GUM In Our Writing
by Martha Rogers As a former English instructor at both the high school and college levels, I am much more aware of the GUM of writing. That’s Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics for those who may not know. Grammar rules do change and the Chicago Manual of Style is what we all go by for our writing. However, some things still …