One of the first things any writer needs to do is to establish a web presence. Following are a couple of tips to help you do it the right way. * Buy your own domain name. The friend that will develop your website or your blog may be your best friend — or your sister — or your brother — …
Using Real Life Experience in Fiction
People are always telling us to write what we know. The best way to do this is to write our real life experiences into our make believe world through the layered fabrics of our characters’ lives. This doesn’t mean that we can’t set a story in France if we’ve never stepped foot in France. It means we need to know …
God’s Plan for our Writing
Regency romance writing called me. Not the calm drawing room conversations and country walks of a Jane Austen, but the swashbuckling romance such as Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer, or even better, the “Sanguinet” series by Patricia Veryan. I wanted spies and dead bodies amidst the glitter of the haut-ton. Who needed to find God’s Grace more …
Expect an Adventure
Writing is a tough profession. The competition in today’s publishing world makes the strongest writers think twice about their commitment to excellence. Those of us who are lured by the magnificence of story are committed to creating a world where our readers slip into the shoes of our characters and are whisked away to an amazing thrill filled with uncertainty. …
Want to Write for Love Inspired Historical? Emily Rodmell tells how
Good morning everyone. I’m Emily Rodmell, and I’m the associate editor for Harlequin’s 3 Love Inspired lines (Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical). I’m here today to talk to you about the great opportunity we have at Love Inspired Historical for new writers. LIH doubled its output from two to four books a month this year, and …
Start Making Your List
By Kathy Harris We unpublished writers are always looking for ways to discern how far we are in our writing journey. One of the best guides can be found at Randy Ingermanson’s website, www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/freshman.php. By answering only five questions you can determine, by Randy’s estimation, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, with publication becoming likely in the …
Pacing–I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can
By Margaret Daley The structure and pacing in a book is what holds the story together, moving it forward. Pacing and structure (what scenes go where) involves how you convey the characters and plot. In order to talk about pacing you also need to talk about the structure of the book. They are interwoven together. Why should a writer care …
Polishing Your Opening Chapters
Are you headed to the ACFW conference or preparing to submit your proposal to an agent and editor? If so, you need to polish those first three chapters until they shine. The synopsis, marketing ideas, platform and bio are important, but the strength of your writing in those chapters is what makes the agent or editor keep reading and ask …
Keep Juggling – Using a Chart to Track Writing Goals
One of the biggest surprises of being published was the juggling act. Before publication, I’d get a story idea, research it, plot it, write it, and edit it. Then I’d start my next project. After my first contract, that all changed. I’m usually doing publicity for one book, working on my publisher’s edits for another, writing a third, and plotting a fourth. …
Top Ten Reasons for Going to ACFW Conference
So many good reasons come to mind as to why one should attend ACFW conferences. Here’s my TOP TEN LIST: Number 10: Memories you make. Number 9: Meeting old friends and making new ones you know by email only. Number 8: Great books available in the bookstore and the authors ready to sign them. Number 7: The wonderful Christian fellowship …