By Kim Gilliland Stone, clay, copper, silver, parchment and papyrus were all used to write upon during biblical times. I can’t even begin to imagine the tedium in writing just a quick note to a friend. If I had to produce the clay or cut down the reeds to make the papyrus, I would probably forgo any written communication. I’ve …
Stand Therefore
By Ian Acheson One aspect of the writing vocation that I wasn’t really prepared for was the frequency with which negative emotions surfaced. Whether it’s the number of rejections one receives, the often daily struggle of putting words on a page, the discouragement when questioning the quality of one’s story, to those disappointing sales figures and reviews, to name just …
Waiting
By Dawn Crandall People who don’t know me might not realize that I signed my three book contract with Whitaker House when I was (finally) six months pregnant with my first child. What they also wouldn’t know is that I’d waited twice as long to have a baby than to get published, and that they both, unfortunately, happened to come …
Bum Glue
By Janice Cantore What do you do when you’re stuck at a spot in your manuscript? As you sit in front of the computer you seem to be hitting delete more than anything else, or worse, you’re staring at a blank page. Does that make you get up and find something else to do? When I get the urge to …
Being Equipped
By Henry McLaughlin God has a will, or a plan for each of us. Psalm 139:16 (NLT) tells us, You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Each of us is on this earth for a specific reason. We may …
Writing like David
By Melissa Tagg So…King David. I kinda love him. I’m talking about David in the Old Testament. The one who took down Goliath. I love the guy and it’s not so much his giant-slaying ability that warms my heart as much as his vulnerability and brutal honesty. He has big ups and big, big downs (and yeah, some not-so-shining moments, …
Not Qualified? Think Again!
By Sarah Sundin “Who am I to write a novel? I didn’t major in English! I’m ‘just’ a mom/teacher/police officer/nurse.” Ever think something like this? Many of us feel our lack of literary credentials will block us from achieving our dream. However, scanning the biographies of published novelists reveals a sparkling diversity of backgrounds. Those diverse backgrounds make each novelist …
Writing: A Gift From the Lord
By Kim Gilliland Writing. I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me to put my thoughts on paper is a driving force. However, if no one reads my words, is it like the proverbial tree in the forest – when it falls, does it really make a sound? If no one else reads my words, then what good are …
Measuring Greatness
By Loretta Eidson Recently, I posted this quote by Mark Twain on Hootsuite: Great people can make you feel that, you too, can become great. I’ve heard numerous times throughout my life that if we want to be smart we should hang out with smart people. It stands to reason the same is true for greatness. But, who do we …
Something is Greater than Nothing
By Anne Mateer I’m not very good at math. Never have been. I still have to use cheats to add and subtract, multiply and divide. Recently, however, I did have a mathematical epiphany. (And yes, it has to do with writing!) Something > Nothing Remember that little sideways caret thing from elementary school math? It either means greater than or …