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 …
How Do Writers Choose a Fiction Genre?
By DiAnn Mills New writers often have the dilemma of choosing what genre of fiction they should write. If this is your problem, I have a few tips to help you make that critical decision. Look at an overview of five of the most popular genres. Romance – These stories are about two people who fall in love. The plot …
Downsizing Has an Upside
by Melody Morrison I wanted to write, but we were supposed to be down-sizing. Yuck. I faced a wall unit of books, games and toys. Over 750 youth and children’s books called my name. Stopping to read “a little”, I didn’t accomplish much. Today two thirds of the books are still on the shelves and five piles designated for various …
My Reading Journey
By Dwight David Croy At my late stage in life, God gives permission to go on a writing mission. It is an extension of the great commission. The professional writing mission is new to me, but a welcome outlet for ministry. Books will not rival the living breathing Word of God, but they have a role to play in each …
Hello, ACFW!
THE ACFW VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR FEBRUARY 24 – 25, 2024 Hello ACFW! I’m Kathleen Y’Barbo-Turner, a member of the ACFW Executive Board, and I’ve got great news for you! If you’ve been a member of ACFW for any length of time, you’ve no doubt attended or at least heard about our fabulous ACFW Annual Conference–the premier conference …
From the Tablet on your Heart
by Kathy Maresca @KathyMaresca Stories, willing to escape the confines of our hearts, burn inside writers. Oftentimes a memory spurs our desire to share our poetry and prose with the world. Sometimes details are sketchy. Other times they seem more real than the present day. When I wrote Porch Music, I wanted to include a few of my mother’s memories. …
Learning from Reading a Master Novelist
By Carol Buchanan, PhD The best thing fiction writers can do for ourselves is to read fiction. Read any novel you can get your eyeballs on. Read popular novels, novels you wouldn’t write on a bet, novels of all sorts and in as many genres as you can without saying “Yuck” and throwing the book away. (Because we want to …
How Many Hats Do You Wear a Day?
By Glynn Young The hats we writers wear can seem awfully heavy. The hat we wear every day is the writer’s hat. This is what we do. This is what we’re about. We’re here to tell a story, and that can be difficult enough. It looks like a baseball cap. We learn to write by listening, memorizing, and repetition. We …
Books that Empower Writers to Excel
By Frank DiBianca I have a recurring nightmare in which I walk onto the stage of a packed symphony hall. I hold a violin and bow in my hands. The conductor turns to me and smiles. Suddenly, I realize I have not memorized my part. Even worse, I don’t know how to play the violin! Sound familiar? That’s probably not …
Cooking Up a Story
By Tanara McCauley “Are these…scones?” My teen’s guess was generous, considering the cookies looked more like jagged blue biscuits coated in a suspicious glaze. She held one in her hand, eyes skeptical. I frowned at the cookie-biscuit-scone between her fingers and shook my head. It was a lemon blueberry cookie, or it was supposed to be. Only I’d had to …