by Bonnie S. Calhoun Have you heard novelists say their story was bogged down by inactivity, or that they felt lost in a long drawn out narrative? Well never fear! I have a totally sharp solution…conversation. That’s write (right). Dialogue is considered to be an action element. It can move any plodding exposé into the realm of frantic excitement, or …
Everyday Heroes… in Writing and Life
by Michelle Grajkowski 3 Seas Literary Agency As the Memorial Day weekend filled with warm air and sunshine beckon me from my window, I can’t help but to look outside and to thank God for the blessings that He has given us. My husband and I have a happy home, beautiful children and wonderful careers, both of which help people …
How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?
by Beth vogt (Dani Pettrey, author of the gripping debut romantic suspense novel, Submerged, blogged yesterday about real issues in Christian fiction. Today I’m continuing the conversation about our characters’ lives before they ever appear in our books.) In every romance I’ve ever read, someone’s heart gets broken. • Charlotte in The Wedding Dress by best-selling author Rachel Hauck? Heart …
Real Issues in Christian Fiction
by Dani Pettrey I often hear people say they don’t read Christian fiction because it doesn’t deal with real issues. I take issue with that. I’ve read phenomenal Christian novels dealing with issues like adultery (Dry as Rain by Gina Holmes), drug addiction (Terri Blackstock’s Intervention series), and most recently, I read a novel dealing with a very prevalent issue …
Getting Published in Today’s Market
by Mary Sue Seymour The Seymour Agency Are pre-published authors getting published in today’s market? I just sold Dann Stadler’s Angels in the Fire, the true story of a woman rescued from a car accident by angels, to Tim Peterson at Bethany House. This was the first book Dann had sold. So yes, authors are breaking in. I queried clients …
The Green-Eyed Monster
by Lisa Karon Richardson Jealousy is a vicious taskmaster. More tyrannical than poor George III ever dreamed of, it extracts the joy from our days and leaves us only with burning want. What’s worse, outside of romantic attachments we don’t always recognize it. I tend to be competitive. A quality which western society promotes. After all, who likes to lose? …
A Rose By Any Other Name …
by Maureen Lang The more books an author writes, the greater the struggle to find the right character name-ones they haven’t used before. Like everything else, names are subject to taste. Take Homer, for example. Not your unusual choice for a hero. Why? Does it strike the ear as too close to “homely?” Or does it have that old-fashioned, slightly …
The Ten Words You Need to Hear
by Chip MacGregor, President MacGregor Literary Inc. As you begin preparing for this year’s ACFW conference, I’d like to suggest you keep ten words in mind… 1. READ. Don’t just show up and wonder who the speakers are. Read the blog of keynoter Michael Hyatt. Read the books of teachers such as Davis Bunn and Susan May Warren. That way, …