By Ian Acheson I read recently about a Christian author whose first novel had won a number of accolades. On being asked whether such success had surprised them, they indicated that it hadn’t. They went on to explain that from the first days of writing the manuscript they had marveled with surprise and some disbelief that they had been able …
What Inspires Us
by Kim Gilliland I’m making an assumption here, but I believe we all need to be inspired by something when we first put pen to paper – or fingers to keys, as the case may be. Whether it’s a deadline looming, the proverbial sunrise making it’s entrance on a new day, or simply wanting 30 minutes of alone time with …
God can use anything-even amnesia!
By Allie Pleiter It would have been amusing, had it not been so scary. The romance author getting amnesia. Amnesia is such a romance “staple” that my editor joked about issuing a press release. It’s an amusing story now, the tale of my episode of Transient Global Amnesia in June of 2010. Back then it was one more layer to …
Writing What You Know…Emotionally
By Martha Rogers From early on in my writing days, I was taught to write what I knew most about. During my college days, that didn’t amount to a whole lot in my opinion. In looking back at those days and some of the manuscripts, I find stories about high school romances, college days, and perfect families. I was writing …
Does a Newsletter Scare You? Five Ways to Rock It!
By Cynthia Herron As social media networks continue to limit our visibility (unless we buy their ads so they, in turn, will promote our posts/statuses), what’s a writer to do? How do we reach those we care about? Well, there are two things we can do (and yes, you’ve heard this before): blog and build our email lists-engage through our …
Fall…a reader’s and writer’s paradise!
By Dana Mentink How did it get to be October already? Honestly! Is it me or does the time fly by more quickly as we near the fall? If you can ignore the ominous jingling of bells in the stores and the endless rows of Christmas merchandise, this is the perfect season. Why? Because the weather is crisp, pumpkins are …
Help! Another author wrote my story!
By Anne Mateer Have you ever read a book with the sinking feeling that the story seems so very, very familiar? In fact, it seems almost an exact replica of the story you are writing or have written. A story this author knows nothing about, just as you knew nothing about theirs. The farther you read in the already-published book, …
An Avalanche of…Stuff
by Roxanne Rustand My husband claims that both he and our dogs are afraid to stay in my office for any length of time, as they fear for their lives amidst the floor to ceiling bookshelves taking up every centimeter of space not taken by doors, windows and my desk. The bookshelves are, I admit, overflowing. And then, there’s the …
Lies Writers Believe (and the Truth that Sets them Free!)
By Danica Favorite You might recognize the title concept from Susan May Warren’s teaching. The things holding our characters back are often the same things that hold us back as writers and as people. I remember thinking about a few issues in my own life, and the lightbulb kicked on. I believe lies. So much of my personal writing success …
The Squeeze
by Linda Brooks Davis Ever feel squeezed to your limit? I have. Many times. As a first-time novelist, I’ve learned what the squeeze produces in characters-and in myself. Take the recent ACFW Conference. My husband had massaged the family budget to life support status. A fresh idea had inserted itself into my WIP, calling like a siren as I shut …