By Lynn Hobbs A quote from Herbert Hoover: “The whole of the inspirations of our civilization springs from the teachings of Christ and the lessons of the prophets. To read the Bible for these fundamentals is a necessity of American life.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if his quote were shared in today’s public school system? No chance that quote will …
Called to Write
By Kathryn Haueisen I can still clearly remember one particular day when I was a teenager reading in a wingback chair. What I remember most clearly is that day I realized I want to be a writer. That idea planted a seed that has sprouted into a lifetime working with words in a wide range of contexts. At that point …
Honest Humor
By Preston Shires I don’t think of myself as a particularly funny guy, and I believe if you asked any one of my students, my opinion would be confirmed, especially after finals. However, I do like to write a story that is entertaining, and therefore I do make several attempts at humor in my writings. With a few readers, I …
To Follow a Dream
By Chandra Lynn Smith I entered my first Genesis contest in 2002 before it was the Genesis Contest. I think about that pitiful entry now and feel very sorry for the judges who struggled through reading it. The thing is my brave move to enter the contest was the beginning of quite a journey. In August of 2003, I attended …
Integrity an Integral Requirement for Historical Fiction
By Donna Wichelman How many of you read historical fiction and why? I asked this question in an informal survey on Facebook to get a pulse on what makes the genre compelling. Many answers complied with what you would expect: “It makes history come alive; because I love the eras and events surrounding the stories; it transports me to a …
Building Back the Walls
By Elizabeth Musser Lord, reading Nehemiah 3 this morning has brought me to tears. It’s basically just a list of names of people that I don’t recognize. There are not many who are superstars in the Word of God. Just a lot of ordinary people. Oh, but what they are doing is extraordinary. They’re rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. The …
Are You a Scribe?
By Terri Gillespie These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied . . . Proverbs 25:1, TLV Why did King Hezekiah’s men transcribe King Solomon’s proverbs over two hundred years after Solomon’s death? As novelists, we know those seemingly obscure Bible verses can inspire incredible stories. They can also be great writing exercises. …
Writing Regrets
By Henry McLaughlin After several years on this writing journey and from talking with others on the same path, I’ve found six things I wish I had done differently. Maybe you share some of them. 1) Following trends instead of my heart We all have stories in our hearts. Stories that we need to write. Sometimes it’s for our own …
What is Your Character’s Happy Spot?
By DiAnn Mills Characters, like people, need a place to escape tension, stress, and conflict when life’s challenges threaten to steal their optimism. A writer uses a character’s happy spot to add a slice of real life to a three-dimensional character. The character knows where this place is and returning physically, mentally, or spiritually instills peace, happiness, and a sense …
The Twelve Days of Revisions
by Tammie Fickas Since the conference is just around the corner, I thought we should all get in the spirit with a rousing round of conference carols. What? You’ve never sang conference carols before. Well, that’s okay because I can help with that. Here’s one for you to practice with. The Twelve Days of Revision* On the first day of …