by Anne Mateer Confession time. For all my aversion to math, I thrive on measurable productivity. A number of words written. A number of pages revised. The number of books read in a week, month or year. The amount of time spent research-or even cleaning house or running errands. It all signals productivity. A worthwhile expenditure of time. And yet, …
Genetics-Based Grammarianism
By Michelle Arch In a world of tweeting, texting, chattering, status updates, desktop messaging, flash fiction, and the ubiquitous shrunken novel, rhetoric and the art of epic articulation, sadly, are no longer appreciated and extolled. Murky millennial jargon and cryptic acronyms have replaced the precision of entire phrases and sentences, leaving some of us to wonder if the writer is …
Research Surprises
by Susan Lyttek One of the first things I do when I get an idea for a story is research. I enjoy the process. More often than not, its results surprise me, taking the story in a different direction or changing the focus. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I often approach a book project with preconceived …
Playing it Safe
Playing it Safe By Katherine Reay Working on my third manuscript seems to be an exercise in conquering fear. Someone told me that my second would be the most difficult, but now that it’s behind me – and it will be to you in October – this third one has me in knots. Now it maybe because the process is …
Define Success
By Jennifer Sienes I am not a published author. Let me repeat that-I am not a published author. Okay, technically, I suppose that’s not true. I’ve had some short stories and an article published. But since the majority of my time is spent on novel writing, that’s truly where my heart is. And it’s taken me quite some time (six …
When They Say No
by Catherine West When my agent, Rachelle Gardner, offered me representation, I had just completed a manuscript called Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Rachelle liked it because it was ‘different’. I agreed. I certainly hadn’t seen any books about a female journalist who travels to Vietnam during wartime. Not in CBA anyway. I was ecstatic to finally have an agent who believed in …
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 …
Know What You’re Entitled to as a Writer
By Cynthia Ruchti As you make progress on this journey of writing, it’s important you know your rights. What are you entitled to? 1. Have a contest judge evaluate your entry according to how hard you worked and how long you’ve been writing rather than on the product alone. 2. Present your work to agents and editors the way that …
Book Review: Over the Edge
Title: Over the Edge Author: Brandilyn Collins Publisher: B&H Books Date: May 2011 ISBN: 978-1433671623 Genre: Christian Suspense Reviewed by: Lisa Lickel I live and play in rural Wisconsin where ticks are a nuisance. After reading this book, I will take the “tick check” a whole lot more seriously. Brandilyn Collins gets up close and personal with Over the Edge. …
Writing From The Hero’s Point Of View
by Becky Wade What’s the matter with the following passage? ‘As Daniel strode from his office building towards his car he glanced upward at the cumulus clouds flowing languorously across the sky. Sunshine poured over him like a benediction. What a lovely afternoon! When he reached his car, he sat within for a few moments, thankful for spring and thankful …