by Kim Vogel Sawyer A couple of months ago, I came across an article about Lisa Wingate’s recent release, Before We Were Yours. You’ve probably heard about it—set simultaneously in 1939 Memphis and present day Aikens, South Carolina, it’s the fictionalized account of the notorious Tennessee Children’s Home Society which stole babies and adopted them out to wealthy families. I’m …
Why “Brand” Matters…Or Does it Really?
By Cynthia Herron As a writer, you’ve probably given some thought to your “brand.” (And if you haven’t, now’s the time!) “Brand” to an author is what water is to wildflowers. It quenches, sustains, and breathes life into an otherwise drab existence. For instance, in today’s world where we’re surrounded with a buffet of opportunity, I’m always intrigued by people’s …
Where Do Ideas Come From?
By Melanie Dickerson I get a lot of emails and messages from teen writers asking for writing tips. The two questions I get asked most frequently: “Where do you get your ideas?” and “What do you do when you get stuck?” Since many of my novels are fairy tale retellings, I start out checking into the original fairy tale and …
When a Writer Has Only One Month to Promote
By DiAnn Mills What puts you behind in marketing and promotion your novel? Perhaps you’ve been hit with health problems, personal issues, unseen travel, or maybe you didn’t know how or when to pre-launch a book. Don’t despair! The following eight tips will help tie up the date with a big, green bow etched in dollar signs. Even if you …
Thanksgiving Dinner
By Shirley E. Gould During this season of thanksgiving, we enjoy a feast of turkey, dressing, casseroles, corn, cranberry sauce and croissant rolls. Mashed potatoes with gravy and sweet potatoes complete the display. It’s a time of family gatherings, parades and football games. While it brings a halt in our writing schedule, it is a prime opportunity to gather fodder …
“Drawing” on Your Creative Resources
by Betsy Lowery As a writer whose nonfiction offerings lean more toward deep ideas than toward useful application, I’m happy to offer to my ACFW community a very simple and concrete idea. In chapter 9 of The Wrong Type of Love (unfinished sequel to my first and unpublished novel, A Stranger’s Promise), a couple of young musicians need some inspiration …
Quirky Sources to Add to Your Characterization
By DiAnn Mills I live and breathe story–most writers do. And we’re always looking for ways to ensure our characters and their predicaments are exciting and unique. Some of the places we look can be a bit . . . different. But the exploration is worth it. Here are a few areas that I’ve delved into to add idiosyncrasies to …
Those Stories in My Head
By Martha Rogers Like the raindrops in the song, these stories keep falling on head and filling it with ideas. Peg Phifer posted a quote on our Novel Track writing loop, and it suits me to a T. “GOD PUT ME HERE TO ACCOMPLISH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THINGS. AT THIS RATE, I’LL NEVER DIE!” That’s exactly how I feel …
Writing from the Heart or To the Market
By Rondi Bauer Olson My first writer’s conference was with ACFW in 2009. I was so proud of my manuscript. Dystopians were hot, HUNGER GAMES had come out the year before, and it’s what I’d written! Agents and editors were eager to see what I had, and I received a number of full and partial requests. Did I mention this …
First Drafts: Fast and Free
By Katherine Reay As I write this, The Bronte Plot launches in two weeks and my next manuscript is due in a few days… As you read it, both are behind me. And at both times, I’m buried in first drafts. My son is working on college application essays and one of my daughters is tackling her first two high …