by Georgia Curtis Ling @GeorgiaCLing It was one of those frantic mornings. I was treating the scenic, unfamiliar back road like a speedway, entirely focused on making it to the grocery store. I was completely disconnected, caught up in the stress of the day—until I saw it. The unexpected sight brought me back to reality. I slammed on the brakes …
In Praise of Art Museums as Sources of Inspiration
by Glynn Young I’d heard that, as you age, you often become more interested in art. What I didn’t expect was to discover how that growing interest in art would affect my fiction writing. I wasn’t a stranger to art, but I can’t say it was a major preoccupation, either. I had two semesters of art history in college; I …
The Magical Gift of Imagination
by Ann H. Gabhart “When you start writing, the magic comes when the characters seem to take on a life of their own and write the words themselves.” — Alice Hoffman One of the questions writers often get when talking about their books and writing is what comes first when you are ready to start out on a new story …
Thanksgiving at Charlotte Lake
by Donald L. Reavis It’s Thanksgiving Day. I expect you’re looking for a heart-touching, tear-jerking story of a Thanksgiving past. I did my research and found one that may fit that description. This comes from an old friend of mine, William Lindberg. Over fifty years ago, William and his young wife, Claire, left their family in Wisconsin and moved west …
Speed Writing
By Joni M. Fisher @authorjonimfisher I challenge you to write a novel in a month. It sounds impossible, but hear me out. How many best-selling authors publish a book every year? Barbara Cartland, the Queen of Romance, wrote over 700 novels. Isaac Asimov wrote 500. Nora Roberts has written 225. James Patterson has 100. John Grisham has over 50. Calculate …
Keeping the Muse
By Neva Bodin I spoke at a writers conference a couple of years ago about keeping the muse. I’m thinking all writers must have one. What is a muse? One source said the word originated in Greek literature and was introduced by Chaucer in his writings. It is “Any of the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, each of whom …
Keep Your Eyes on the Goal
by Rebecca Reed I don’t know about you, but I get excited when I think of a new story idea. I spend time thinking about characters, backstory, motivations, settings, and events. I call this “story noodling” and I love this activity. At some point, the newness wears off. Writing becomes less fun and more like work. I make excuses to …
The Story Equation
By Rachel Hauck I’ve been using Susan May Warren’s Story Equation (SEQ) for building characters and working out a high-level plot for over a decade. In our early days of writing, as Susie and I talked about our craft, she brought these principles to the table and created The Story Equation. To be clear, there are many good author tools. …
New Year, New Tricks
By Angela Hunt I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions . . . probably because I’m failed at so many in years past. What I do believe in is learning new tricks, and the new year is the perfect opportunity to start learning a few. I like to try something new with each book I write. Of course, the subject …
Building a Home, Building a Novel
By Diane E. Samson My husband and I have been in the process of building a home for the last 18 months. Our new place will be ready in December, and as all the various design pieces come together so it looks like an actual home, I can’t help but notice the similarities this experience has been to bringing a …