by Eddie Jones Why do I write for boys? First I are one. Have been for as long as I can remember. Given the advancements in modern science and the cultural acceptance of transgender persons, a day may come when I am something different. But for now I’m a boy – albeit an older, smelly one. Here’s another reason I …
The Enemy-enemy
by Beth Shriver The cursor blinks and still nothing. The hours tick by and you’ve written two sentences. You take a break to check your email. The phone rings. Now its lunch time. You sit down to write and see the blinking cursor again. We’ve all had those days when procrastination sets in, and the harder you push, the further …
The Huguenot Cross-Celebrating the Symbolic
By Elizabeth Musser I received my Huguenot cross in December of 1994, given to me by my beloved husband, Paul. We spent many hours looking for just the right cross because it was extremely significant to me. It represented the dreams of a lifetime, the answer to decades of prayer. I was going to write a novel. Many believers in …
Closed doors and Open Windows- Liminal Space
by Tina Radcliffe January is the time of year when I am reminded of liminal space. I love to talk about this topic. It relates so clearly to our writing journey. Liminal comes from the Latin, limina, meaning threshold. So think of liminal space as the threshold. It’s that place after you leave one room and have not yet entered …
Writing Romance When the Real Romance Fails
By Kit Wilkinson How do you write a happily-ever-after when your own story has turned into a tragedy? When I landed my last novel contract, frankly, it was the first bit of good news I’d had in a long while. I’d prayed to be able to write this book for a few months, thinking it would be just what I …
Writing Contests and You!
By Roxanne Rustand ACFW is a wonderful source of education, networking, and industry information, and offers another opportunity: its annual contest for unpublished writers. There are other non-ACFW contests during the year as well. Entering contests can be very helpful, and here are a few reasons why: 1. If your critique partners have seen your work over and over, they …
Discouragement Prescription
by Becky Wade Just four short syllables, but discouragement can have enormous destructive power in the life of a writer. Most of us who’ve been writing for any length of time have encountered seasons of it. Here are just a few of the things that can cause the onset of a case of discouragement. Do any of these sound familiar? …
What if we Plot a Writing Path for the Year Ahead?
By Judy Christie Many writers start terrific stories by asking a simple question: What if? “What if?” leads novelists down the merry story path, scene after scene, chapter after chapter. Those words ignite fiction magic. Anything can happen. As you assess your writing for the year ahead, “what if” can also bear fruit in a practical career way. That question …
Can One Person Make a Difference?
by Suzanne Woods Fisher “Don’t worry what you could do if you lived your life over; get busy with what’s left.” Amish proverb Can one person make a difference? Even a woman who might be, say, considered a wee bit elderly? Consider Victoria Williams of Richmond, California. Eleven years ago, when Victoria was 77 (did you catch that? She was …
Letting Go…
by Katherine Reay You’re suffering from a double dose of me. When I signed up to be today’s blogger, I didn’t know I’d be yesterday’s interview. So if you want to know more about me, I think I am lurking in the archives from yesterday… But today, we chat writing and letting go. In fact, as of about an hour …