By Amy Clipston People often ask me, “How do you work a full-time job and write books?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead reply, “I just make it work.” Unlike some authors, I work full-time for a local government, in addition to writing four or more books per year for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. In fact, in …
Pushing Through Growing Pains
By Kariss Lynch I found out I was pregnant with our first child two months before my fourth book baby was set to launch into the world. Needing mental energy to finish editing Heart’s Cry and having no physical energy in the first trimester was quite a doozy. However, the more I pushed through and the further we have traveled in this …
Tips for Fighting the Dreaded Writer’s Block
By Amy Clipston Through the years I’ve found that my book projects fall into two categories—they either write themselves or writing them feels like having my teeth drilled. In other words, the characters either tell me the story or I push them through the story as if they were dead weight. My novella “Bundles of Blessings” included in the collection …
Using Secrets in our Stories
By Darlene L. Turner Have you ever kept a secret from your mom as a kid? I did one time… “Don’t tell Mom,” I said to my brother Murray. “She’ll kill me!” Once again, I didn’t listen to my mom and decided to take our friend’s 5-speed bike for a ride. We had pleaded with Mom, but she wasn’t ready …
Who is in Your Writer Community?
By: DiAnn Mills Most people believe writers lead a solitary life. But a professional writer thrives on community. We writers can’t achieve measurable success without surrounding ourselves with others who share our goals, dreams, and values. In this context, a community is a group of people who have expertise and passion for the same interests. In a writer’s community, each …
Six Tips for a Low-Stress Book Release Month
By Sarah Sundin Book releases can be the most exciting times! Seeing our books released into the wild is the fulfillment of our writerly dreams. But they can also be hectic and taxing. This week my thirteenth novel, When Twilight Breaks, releases. Here are a few tips for navigating your release month with grace—tips I’ve learned the hard way. Plan …
The Wait
by Loretta Eidson The moment months of character building, plotting, and creativity end, anticipation builds. The novel is complete. With outstretched arms, take in a deep breath, shout for joy, and celebrate the success of a long writing journey. The sense of accomplishment feels grand. The next step is writing a lengthy synopsis and proposal. You tap away at the …
The Triple: An easy way to add a hit of humor during revision
by Teresa Crumpton Some time ago, I braved a network of freeways to visit my grown son. He met me at the door with a toddler in one arm and a naked baby in the other. He stood back, welcomed me in, and said, “Can I get you something, Mom? Coffee? Tea? Diaper? That was my first taste of the …
In Everything Give Thanks—Even in “Plot Twists”
by Linda Thompson As authors, we love to hand our characters plot twists. And we expect them to face them with resilience and fortitude. But what about those times when life hands us our own wild cards? Something we expected doesn’t turn out like…we expected. 2020 has dished out plenty of those. Amen? For many, this past Thanksgiving weekend epitomized …
God’s Whispers in Theme
By Suzanne J. Bratcher “Do you know the theme of a story before you write it?” When a reader asked me that question, I answered “yes.” While I don’t always know the exact passage that will surface as the key verse, I know the theme will be an invitation to a deeper faith. Even though my answer seemed to satisfy …