by Anne Mateer I’m not a bold person. I rarely talk to strangers. Even if I need something. So the idea of asking someone–a living, breathing person–for help in researching what would become my first published novel, terrified me. I mean, even if I could muster the courage to ask for assistance, who would take the time to answer questions …
Do Yourself a Favor – Follow Through
by Cynthia Ruchti “No more shoulds.” I could feel my eyes widen and my eyebrows creep higher at her no-nonsense statement. She meant all three words. She’d determined to eliminate the word “should” from her vocabulary. No more “I should,” “We should,” “They should,” “You should.” “I’m either going to do it or I’m not,” she vowed. “I either will …
Conference Expectations
by Ian Acheson I waited outside the reception area of the corporate campus waiting for my client to arrive. I was expecting to receive a letter of employment from the CEO that would end my consultant status and see me appointed as a director of the company. We’d been in discussions for six months and all that was required was …
Overcoming Writing Fears
By Loretta Eidson Pressing the send button for that first submission can be the most nerve-racking, push-of-the-button feat ever tackled. Why? Writing thrusts the writer’s reputation into the world. It shouts from the inner corridors of the heart, “I have something to write about, but will the editor think it is worthwhile?” It unveils a hidden desire to communicate with …
Encouragement for the Discouraged
by Lindsay Harrel As most of us know, this writing journey can be filled with a lot of valleys. Experiencing writer’s block. Being stuck at home when everyone else is attending the big conference. Feeling like you’re on the outside of publishing circles. Receiving rejections. Trust me, I’ve been there! But I also was blessed enough to receive some great …
In God’s Waiting Room
by Sarah Sundin “Wait.” We don’t like that word, do we? But a writer’s life is filled with waiting. Most famously, we wait for that first book contract. But the waiting doesn’t end. We wait for our editor’s approval. We wait for reviews. We wait for readers’ reactions. We wait for sales figures. And many published authors go through another …
Bugged by the Ladies
by Dana Mentink Consider the humble ladybug, fellow readers and writers. She’s less than a quarter of an inch long, silent and stoic and more than likely unnoticed in your yard. Truth be told, she’s a powerhouse, a dynamic dame that can teach us a lot about the wild and wacky world of writing. Let’s take a moment to look …
Writing and Time Management
by Jennie Atkins So you want to write, but you have to hold down your dreaded day job, be super mom, or just get through your never-ending to-do list. There are days you finally drag yourself to your computer and barely squeak out a paragraph or two at best. Or you get sidetracked with e-mails, phone calls, or a hundred …
Commanded to Rest
by Sarah Sundin Feeling overwhelmed? While the life of a writer sounds idyllic-spinning stories and signing books-the reality is a whirlwind. When my fourth novel released last September, I worked nonstop-writing, emails, Facebook, interviews, Twitter, newsletters, articles, speaking engagements. By November I was a wreck. I haven’t been a big fan of “God’s One Word of the Year for You.” …
A Room of One’s Own
by Deborah Raney “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” –Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own I started writing to help put our kids through college. But it’s a good thing I hadn’t read the above quote by Virginia Woolf before I wrote my first ten novels. Because, you …