Stealing the Heart of the Reader

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, creativity, Dialogue, Plots, Story Structure, tips, writing Leave a Comment

By Marie E. Bast @mariebast1 To steal the heart of the reader, a story must have a solid plot line and the protagonist must believe a lie about him or herself, which will cause obstacles and hinder them achieving their plot goal. This problem will become obvious at the inciting incident and first plot point. Each chapter, like a golf …

What’s in a Name?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Encouragement, writing 3 Comments

by Janice Cantore This might be a rambling blog post. I’m not sure if every writer struggles with this subject like I do. I’ve written 14 books and I think I’ve struggled with this at some level with every single one. How do you pick names for your characters? I write suspense fiction, plot driven, not character driven, still, in …

How a Troublesome Manuscript Was Saved

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Encouragement, Perseverance, revisions, writing 2 Comments

by Glynn Young Hold on to those unfinished or problematic manuscripts. You never know when they’re due for a rebirth. You pour everything into creating a manuscript. You type “The End.” You smile and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. It’s done. You finished it. You set it aside for a few days, and then you reread it. …

Troublesome Characters

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, writing 2 Comments

by Susan A. J. Lyttek  @SusanLyttek Several years ago, I took a course on character development from a well-known Christian writer. Through the multiple session course, we were taught to create a psychological profile for our character, find pictures that looked like him or her, and create brief histories for prior to the story’s commencement. It was all good and …

Writing a Character with a Disability

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing 4 Comments

by Kathy Maresca @so_tweet Lieutenant Dan. Would Forrest Gump have become an iconic movie without this fictional character? Because I am a rehabilitation counselor and a veteran, it is easy for me to understand why Lieutenant Dan has resonated with millions. Including a character who has a disability might make our novels even more relatable. When one out of five …

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? A Rebel Writer’s Guide to Breaking the Rules of Writing

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Encouragement, tips, writing 2 Comments

By Kathleen Y’Barbo Turner @KathleenYBarbo When my daughter was in kindergarten, her teacher asked the children to interview an adult about his or her job and come back to class the next day with a report on what they learned. Hannah grilled me about my job as a writer, and I answered her questions about how I constructed my stories. …

Reflecting the Gospel Through Our Characters

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, creativity, Faith, writing Leave a Comment

by M.D. House @Real_HouseMD At first blush, this doesn’t seem like such a difficult task. But when we examine the recent success of The Chosen—and all of the painstaking work which has gone into not just the cinematography but the storytelling itself—we realize the steep challenge involved in securing the sweet promise of that goal. Such stories and their characters …

Stretch Your Brain for Creativity

ACFWAuthors and writing, Characters, creativity, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, POV, tips, Voice, writing Leave a Comment

By Terry Overton As a new writer curious about the craft of writing, I aspired to learn all aspects of writing fiction.  Authors’ voices, writing styles, and uniquely developed characters are fascinating. How was Hemmingway’s writing different from Fitzgerald or Austin? How are the styles of contemporary fiction authors different from writers of years past? How can authors have such …