by Janet Chester Bly Most of Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot, happens in or near Gearhart, Oregon in 1905. The railroad opened up more tourists for this seacoast village, tucked between crashing surf and Pacific forests. One of its most prominent citizens, Narcissa Kinney, insisted that the city council proclaim this a ‘dry town,’ which it remained for more than seventy …
Let’s Get Emotional
By Margaret Brownley Think back to your earliest childhood memory. You were probably three, four or perhaps even five at the time. Now think about how you felt. You might have been scared or hurt. Perhaps you felt giddy with joy or maybe even lonely and confused. Whatever the emotion, it was strong enough to make a deep and lasting …
The Good, The Bad, and the Gutless
by DiAnn Mills You’re an excellent writer. You’ve spent hours developing your character, but something’s missing. Frustration is eating a hole into your creativity because your character is too proud to admit he might not be perfect. You have: •Researched your character’s personality. •Interviewed him and asked tough questions. •Developed a unique voice and dialogue. •Established a setting that promises …
Be Brave. Go Write.
by Crystal Laine Miller What do you do with your time? “I work, eat, sleep, clean, drive, talk, cook, shop, groom, feed the dog/cat/horse/kids/spouse, eat (oh, wait, I said that,)” ….what else? I read. I write. Sounds simple, hey? Yeah, simple as opening a vein. We know that cliché. I’ve heard my fellow writers complain how real world people don’t …
The Naming Game
by Sarah Sundin Most authors love the process of finding the perfect character name, but it can also cause headaches. When writing my newest World War II novel, With Every Letter (Revell, September 2012), I took many things into consideration when naming my characters. Does it fit the character? Sometimes the character’s name comes immediately, but other times I search …
Graduation Day
by Lillian Duncan Randy Ingermanson likens fiction writing to high school. He talks about freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior writers and then there’s graduation day–becoming a published author! How does a writer reach graduation day? There are, of course, different routes to get there-more so now than ever before. This is not discussion on traditional vs. indie publishing. I believe …
Encouragement for Writers
by Nikki Arana If you are struggling with your writing, continue reading . . . People are always surprised to learn that I have sold everything I ever sent out. From that first magazine article in 2003 for Writers Digest, to my current novel, The Next Target. Yes, God was blessing my socks off and assuring me that He had …
Focus Your Premise
What’s at stake? What’s the story question? by Rachel Hauck Premise Every story needs a basic start: a premise. It’s the foundation for your idea. The premise defines what’s at stake? What the story is about? “What will the protagonist overcome to achieve her goal?” A great premise is the “hook” that grabs the attention of an editor, agent or …
The Story is in the Details
By Margaret Daley We all know that character and plot are important elements to writing, but I’m here to remind you of the importance of the details in your story. I had a friend tell me she sent out her book for endorsements. When one endorser emailed her with her endorsement (a good one), she casually asked my friend what …
Life with Lily
By Suzanne Woods Fisher “Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.” Amish proverb I’ve often heard that there is no better childhood than an Amish one. Mary Ann Kinsinger had such a childhood. She was raised in a happy Old Order Amish home in western Pennsylvania. A born storyteller, Mary Ann started a blog, A Joyful Chaos, …