by Angela Hunt
When I turned fifty, I realized–with a start–that I would not live forever. That I probably had more time “behind” me than in front of me. I began to look at the books I write in a new way–considering that I have a limited amount of time in which to write, the books I choose to write should matter. REALLY matter. Of
course, the Spirit can and does use anything, but I asked Him to guide me so that I spent my remaining time wisely.
Then I realized something else–I have the spiritual gift of teaching, which I only use a couple of times a year, mostly when I’m invited to teach at a conference like ACFW. So why not use some of my writing time to write down everything I’ve learned in more than forty-one years of writing work?
So I began to write these brief little “Writing Lessons from the Front.” I publish them myself and write them when I can fit in the time between projects. They are all the nuts and bolts without the fluff—just what you need to know.
Now I’m way past fifty and my desire to train up the next generation has only gotten stronger. So I’ve just started a newsletter, Write Well, for people who are seriously interested in writing. There are two editions–paid and free. The free one comes out once a month; the paid newsletter once a week. I wish I could make it all free, but I’m the only breadwinner in our house and this does take time away from my novels.
Writing is one of the few occupations in which we can never know everything. Even if you were to learn all of the techniques and tips, effective writing changes over time. The methods that were popular years ago—like paragraph blocks of description and writing thoughts in italics–have evolved.
So I do hope you’ll join me to learn a few things, be reminded of a few things, and engage with the community. Once the Write Well community grows a little, I’m hoping to do some “Zoom” critiquing and other zoom sessions. Won’t you come and join us? I’d love to see you on substack.
~Angela Hunt
Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who expect the unexpected in novels. With over five million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to non-fiction books, to novels.