Scene Ahead Approach

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Outlines, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing 9 Comments

by B.D. Lawrence @BDLawrence3 Some writers are plotters. They write a detailed outline of the entire story before writing a scene. Some writers are pantsers. They write with no outline and no idea where they are going. I started as a plotter. I wrote a wonderful ten-chapter outline for my first book.  But when the book ended up being thirty …

Seven Components Required to Create a Compelling Character

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Conflict/Tension, Encouragement, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing, writing 6 Comments

by Rachel Hauck  @RachelHauck This August I’ve been writing full time for twenty years. I quit my job—cutting our household income by two-thirds—with one little $2,500 contract and a big deposit of dreams. While other contracts followed, my books didn’t fly off the shelf, win awards, or create buzz at my publisher. In many ways, I had a wrong idea …

Mastering the Puzzle

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, creativity, Learning, Organization, Outlines, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing 9 Comments

By Loretta Eidson Most people enjoy putting puzzles together. We know it can be quick entertainment or a time-consuming, tedious challenge, depending on the number and size of the pieces. Separating straight edges from the others and forming the outline help bring the size of the picture into focus. Some may dump the remaining pieces on the table for a …

Plotter or “Pantser” – Is One Better than the Other?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Brainstorming, Friends of ACFW, Outlines, Plots, Plotting/Outlines, writing Leave a Comment

By Lori Domingo @LoriDomingo22 If someone had asked me that question a year ago, I would have proudly declared, “I’m a pantser. I never write from a plot outline. It’s too confining.” I had managed to complete one manuscript without it, and was hard-pressed when I was required to write one for one of my MA classes. It was something …

Tips for Fighting the Dreaded Writer’s Block

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, Outlines, Plots, tips, writing 1 Comment

By Amy Clipston Through the years I’ve found that my book projects fall into two categories—they either write themselves or writing them feels like having my teeth drilled. In other words, the characters either tell me the story or I push them through the story as if they were dead weight. My book Room on the Porch Swing, which releases …