by Catherine West While at ACFW’s annual conference in Nashville this year, I was reminded of something. I had the opportunity to pass through the ‘waiting room’ of the appointments area a couple of times, and oh, the pressure was palpable. I remembered my first few conferences, nerves doing a jig all the while until my appointments were over. Conference …
The Field of Dreamers
By Robin W. Pearson Some soybeans spoke to me one day. Actually, it wasn’t the soybeans, but rather a cornstalk growing smackdab in the middle of them. That lone plant told me to keep pressing no matter what the world looks like around me, to do what I do, write what I know. What do I know? Well, I’m a …
Scarce as Hen’s Teeth
By Linda Brooks Davis Ever consider writing about chickens? Neither have I. Until now. I’m involved in a Bible study seeking a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit. Today’s lesson was subtitled “God wants to dwell among humble people.” Our discussions stimulated, challenged, and sometimes surprised me, made me sit up and consider the Holy Spirit in a new way, …
Making Stuff Up
By Davalynn Spencer “Just make something up,” my husband said when I told him I had a blog post to write for ACFW. Well, um, yeah. That’s what we do as American Christian Fiction Writers. We make stuff up. But that stuff has to be based in reality. Plausible reality. Not things like a bull knocking out my bullfighter-son’s front …
Crawling Into Your Character’s Brain
By Kariss Lynch Few things drive me to crazy story rants quite like shallow characters. I want to open a book and dive in, enjoying the dance of meeting new people. I want characters with depth that make me want to be them or marry them. I want characters with character, grit, vulnerability, and quirks. I want a little spice …
Let Go and Let God Write
By Lenora Livingston In my seventy-six years of living, never once in my wildest dreams did I ever envision myself writing a novel. No, not me, no way! In my school days, I always cringed at the very thought of rough drafts and rewriting themes and term papers. If I couldn’t write it right the first time forget it. It …
Real People
By Georgia Florey-Evans As you might guess from the title, we are looking at characters. Unless I stick with the “Real People” and host a gossip session like none other. When I started writing only three years ago, I was naïve. I would write this unbelievably excellent novel, and it would go right onto the shelf at every major bookstore. …
Show Vs Tell Gone Wild
By Ane Mulligan To draw your readers into your story, you want to create an experience for them. But that experience is filtered through your POV character. You know that already? Good. But are you layering the senses into your fiction so the reader hears, sees, smells, tastes, and feels it? It’s actually a matter of “showing vs. telling” gone …
The Joy of the Lord is My Strength
By Barbara J. Scott Joy? “What’s joy got to do with writing?” the Grinch would say. Aren’t writers supposed to pour their blood, sweat, and tears onto the page? Aren’t we supposed to suffer for our craft? I remember the first story I ever wrote for publication–The Milk Bottle Circus. I was in the fourth grade, and our teacher planned …
A Different Kind of Contract
By Nancy Ellen Hird When I first began to write for publication, I heard a Christian business man talk about how he made an employment contract with God. He said it made a huge difference in his attitude toward work and in his productivity. It seemed an odd idea at first (a little churchy), but the more I turned the …