By Darlene Corbett @darlenemcorbett I love butterflies. I love writing. And I love conferences. What does one have to do with the other? To make it simple, I’m like a butterfly who flits to as many writing conferences as possible. My wings flutter as I immerse myself in the nectar of learning. On closer examination, complexity streams through the parallel …
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 …
Don’t Ignore Setting
by Steven Rogers @SRBooksForHope In my younger days, I often feared being the “third wheel” – the “extra” person when two people were on a date or starting to connect romantically. In these situations, I often felt superfluous and ignored. What does being a “third wheel” have to do with writing fiction? Well, let’s start with this premise—a good novel …
Geeks Read Books!
By Bruce Hennigan @bhennigan55 I recently took a big risk. In my region of the South, there is a large convention called “GeekD Con” featuring anime, superheroes, fantasy, cosplaying, and more. Average attendance over the three-day weekend is in the tens of thousands. Last year, I attended GeekD Con because my adult daughter wanted to cosplay an anime character. At the …
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 …
Copyright Protection and the Constitution
by Barbara M. Britton @BarbaraMBritton America celebrated her 250th birthday, and the Constitution was the topic of conversation. The document that formed our government and protected rights gave a nod to artists. Were you aware that our Founding Fathers cared about your writing? In Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, we are told that Congress shall have power to: promote the …
Meeting with Readers
by Mitchell S. Karnes Meeting with my readers is my second favorite part of being an author. Don’t get me wrong, creating the story and watching it grow is fascinating, but seeing how my readers react to the books keeps me going. I wish I could hear from all of you. This month, I had the opportunity to meet with …
God’s Nudges
By Patricia Collier I pray for each book I write: before, during, and after I finish it. The first book in my series, The Hornet’s Nest, seemed pretty much “follow the expected path for my characters.” Then I prayed about what I had written. I felt a nudge to make a change to the story path. I even consulted my …
A Fresh Start
By Darlene L. Turner Every writer loves to type “THE END” on their latest work-in-progress, but that dreaded flashing cursor on a blank “Chapter One” page sends tremors down our spines. Can I get an amen? However, starting a new manuscript doesn’t have to be daunting. Authors can make it fun. How, you ask? Maybe change your process up a …
When Research for Your Historical Novel Changes Your Understanding
By Glynn Young For more than a year, I’ve been researching / writing/ researching / writing a historical novel set during the American Civil War. It’s loosely based on the experiences of my great-grandfather, but the more I write and research, the looser it becomes. I thought I knew the basic story of the war. What I soon learned is …