by Donna Wichelman “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You, too? Thought I was the only one.’” —C. S. Lewis I live in the Northern Hemisphere—the State of Colorado in the United States. Every August, I joyfully anticipate fall—my favorite time of year. I love the colors of fall, the deep reds, vibrant …
Doing it His Way
By Mitchell S. Karnes In 1969, Frank Sinatra released “My Way,” in which the singer faces his final stage (end of his life) and declares that through the hills and valleys of life, “I did it my way.” On the surface, it is a wonderful thought. No matter what life threw against me, I did not buckle. I made my …
I Wanted To Be Hidden. Then God Gave Me The Mic.
By Valerie Carr I remember the first time I had to use a microphone on a stage in front of a large group of lunching ladies. All eyes were on me as I announced the winners of the raffle we had held for the charity we were supporting. For most people, this would not have been an issue. They would …
Behind A Writer’s Books
By Dr. Dwight David Croy Life-changing events are priorities to be told. As a Christian writer, my first priority is to tell how I was saved by Jesus Christ. When invited as a guest speaker at a church, I often start with how I came to Christ because that is my authority for speaking. A book is like a platform …
Overcoming the Messy Middle of Writing and Life
by Lana Christian @LanaCWrites As authors, we have a love-hate relationship with the messy middle of our novels. We can’t wait to get past it. We wonder how we’ll get through it. (Sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it?) In the messy middle, our characters often make wrong choices. Barriers block their goals. Their lows get lower. Revelation and resolution …
More Than a Stage—Use Your Setting to Illumine Your Story
by Sarah Sundin @sarahsundin Shakespeare tells us, “All the world’s a stage.” For the novelist, the challenge is to take our setting from a cardboard cutout of a stage to illuminating depth. Choosing Your Setting The initial choice of setting is often driven by a story spark. We already know it’s set on the prairie in the 1880s or an …
I Wasn’t An Author, Until God Said, Write
by: Valerie Carr The story came onto my heart rather suddenly. It wasn’t something I had purposely prepared for or even considered writing. But I had a story in my head, and when I went looking for something like it in a book, I couldn’t find what I was searching for. If I came close, the story often contained content …
Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice
by Elle E. Kay @ElleEKay777 It’s conference time once again. On Saturday night, many of us will gather at the annual ACFW Gala and await the announcements of the titles that will receive the prestigious honor of a Genesis or Carol Award. I didn’t expect much when I watched a clip of the announcements to see who finaled. I’d never heard my …
Don’t Hold Back
By Chandra Lynn Smith This past weekend I did something new. And I was more than a little bit nervous about the endeavor. I don’t know about all writers, but I have a feeling many—maybe even most—of us are introverts. I recently learned a new personality type: extroverted introvert. People who are basically introverted but can adapt extroverted traits when …
When YA Isn’t Enough
By Daniel P. Warner The tone of the story has more of a YA feel than a book marketed to adults. I stared at the words in the rejection email, trying to make sense of them. Even at that early stage in my writing journey, I recognized how valuable it was to get feedback deeper than a form letter. But …