by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Dear writerly friend, promise me that this year you won’t open the unwanted gift of stress. The package is easy to recognize—the black paper and black bow with an attaching-grabbing tag, Open Me December 1 will spoil your celebration. Oh, it’s tempting, but please don’t give in. You’ll recognize the weighted items inside: Writer, cut short …
Thanksgiving at Charlotte Lake
by Donald L. Reavis It’s Thanksgiving Day. I expect you’re looking for a heart-touching, tear-jerking story of a Thanksgiving past. I did my research and found one that may fit that description. This comes from an old friend of mine, William Lindberg. Over fifty years ago, William and his young wife, Claire, left their family in Wisconsin and moved west …
The Garden Theory of Writing and Publishing
By Cynthia Ruchti @cynthiaruchti A writer and an agent were chatting over lunch one day. The writer had been at it a long time, had planted many different kinds of stories, but nothing had taken root. The agent asked, “What do like most about gardening with words?” The writer said, “Being in the garden.” “It is beautiful here, isn’t it? …
Crafting Page-Turning Dialogue
by Darlene L. Turner Boring dialogue kills a story. Would you agree with this statement? We’ve probably all read those scenes where two characters chat and chat and chat about nothing. Oh hum. Our attention drifts, and we think about everything we need to get done around us. Cleaning, laundry, walking the dog, washing our hair. Right? Boring dialogue sounds …
For Such a Time
by Maureen Miller Why’s it taking so long? This was my frequent cry. My frustration regarding my WIP’s publication process spilled over like coffee in a Starbucks cup sloshing over speedbumps. Similar to crickets from my content coach, God, too, often seemed silent. Over time, my inquiry changed. Is there a greater lesson to apply to my writing life? That’s …
Forgetting All the Illustration I Studied for a Non-Illustrated Book
by Glynn Young My historical novel Brookhaven has no illustrations. I spent an estimated third of my research time hunting for them. The novel is set in two different time periods – the Civil War and immediately after, and then 50 years later, in 1915. From the beginning of the first draft, I quickly learned that I had to see …
Speed Writing
By Joni M. Fisher @authorjonimfisher I challenge you to write a novel in a month. It sounds impossible, but hear me out. How many best-selling authors publish a book every year? Barbara Cartland, the Queen of Romance, wrote over 700 novels. Isaac Asimov wrote 500. Nora Roberts has written 225. James Patterson has 100. John Grisham has over 50. Calculate …
Tracking Your Progress
by D’Ann Mateer Almost 25 years ago, I attended my first writers conference at Mt. Hermon. It was the second big step toward my writing dream—the first being finishing my first full-length novel. Of course, I soaked in all the classes and interactions with editors and agents and fellow writers, but probably the most lasting thing I took home was …
The Power of the First Line
by Rachel Hauck “One of the most difficult things is the first paragraph… In the first paragraph, you solve most of the problems of your book. The theme is defined, the style, the tone. At least in my case, the paragraph is a kind of sample of what the rest of the book is going to be.” — Gabriel García Márquez, …
Comparison – The Thief of Joy
by Steven Rogers @SRBooksForHope For the last fifteen years, I’ve been a member of a men’s Bible study group. During our meetings, a common theme often emerges—comparison. Based on the contributions we see from others, we worry that we’re not doing enough. For example, we might be reading about the Apostle Paul, marvel at this commitment and accomplishments, and then …