Stretch Your Brain for Creativity

ACFW Authors 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 …

The Smell, Taste, Sound, and Feel of Christmas

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By Lisa Schnedler My novel, Bentonsport: A Christmas Story, is about two people, from two eras, who meet two weeks before Christmas. When I sat down to write this novel, I did not plan for it to involve time travel. I intended the story to reflect the emotions I had experienced when I moved from the city I had lived …

A Different Way to Look at Books

ACFW Authors and writing, Books, creativity, Friends of ACFW 3 Comments

By Deborah Raney “. . . he who destroys a good book kills reason itself.”   ~John Milton There is something about books and bookshelves lined with favorite books that just make a house feel cozier and more welcoming. But books don’t have to be only for reading. As a writer of books and an avid reader of books, I’ve begun to …

There Is A Cause

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By Shirley Gould This year is finally coming to a close. Can you say Praise the Lord? With Christmas behind us and a new year around the corner, it is a good time to reassess where we’ve been and make goals for the future. 2020 has numbed us into a stagnant state with its quarantines, mask-wearing, and social distancing. As …

It was a dark and stormy night.

ACFW Advice, Authors and writing, creativity, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, writing 1 Comment

by Lisa Loraine Baker It was a dark and stormy night. How about a dark and stormy year? Covid, lockdowns, green zones, purple zones, elections. Oh my! If any of these things affects your writing, you’re not alone. Following are a few pitfalls from this year: How can I concentrate on my story when the one in the news is …

Put Your Feet on the Desk

ACFW Advice, Authors and writing, creativity, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing 18 Comments

By Terri Gillespie “. . . and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:12, NKJV I have a friend who was a vice-president of a major financial institution in Manhattan. He’s an incredible idea person—a real visionary. While overseeing operations for a ministry, …