New Year, New Tricks

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Brainstorming, creativity, Description, Learning, tips, writing 4 Comments

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 …

Encouragement for your 2025 Writing Goals

ACFWACFW, Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Learning, Perseverance, tips, writing 7 Comments

by Chandra Lynn Smith “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” ~ Galatians 6:4 (MSG) It’s Christmas Eve as I sit here writing this post. My heart wants to get back to the cooking and cleaning and wrapping. But, I must first write this post for …

A New Writer’s Journey: Five Tips to save you a lot of heartache!

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Brainstorming, Critiques, Editing, Encouragement, Learning, Perseverance, POV, tips, writing 6 Comments

by Lisa Larsen Hill I wrote my biblical novel during the pandemic. Looking back at my journey, I wish I could’ve told myself, “Don’t worry. Don’t lose sleep (unless your characters are talking to you), and you’re about to start an amazing journey better than you could’ve planned. God will guide you.” Here are my biggest lessons. Learn from your …

Why Does a Story Work?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Critiques, Encouragement, Fellowship, Learning, Reading, Story Structure, tips, writing 8 Comments

By Cynthia Herron @C_Herronauthor Did you ever set out on a road trip or a vacation and somewhere along the way miss a turn and realize you were lost? Maybe that’s why I don’t drive in big cities (says the woman who recently moved to a suburb of a Midwest city that boasts an 800,000+ population). Turning around in the middle of …

The Value of Creating White Space in Your Life

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Learning, Time Management, tips, writing 7 Comments

By Lisa Jordan @lisajordan One of the first writing rules I learned was to be sure there was plenty of white space on the page. At that time, I wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but as I grew in my craft and my abilities, I learned it meant having a good balance of dialogue and narrative to ensure the …

Reasons to View Writers as Athletes

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Fellowship, Learning, tips, writing 13 Comments

By Linda Dindzans, M.D Billions of people viewed the  Paris Olympics, and I enthusiastically joined them. While watching, it occurred to me that writers could be viewed as comparable to athletes and writing could be considered a sport. While most Olympians will not take home a medal, and most writers will not become worldwide best sellers, both groups have entered …

Wisdom from the Writer’s Desk: Five Lessons Learned

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Learning, tips, writing, writing 4 Comments

by Elle E. Kay Publishing my twentieth Christian fiction novel this year has been a significant milestone. In addition to my published works, I have several unpublished manuscripts, one non-fiction book, and two children’s books. It’s been a long and arduous journey from that first non-fiction title to my latest novel. There has been much trial and error, with some …

Mastering the Puzzle

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, creativity, Learning, Organization, Outlines, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing 9 Comments

By Loretta Eidson Most people enjoy putting puzzles together. We know it can be quick entertainment or a time-consuming, tedious challenge, depending on the number and size of the pieces. Separating straight edges from the others and forming the outline help bring the size of the picture into focus. Some may dump the remaining pieces on the table for a …