by Aubrey Reiss Taylor @aubtaybooks Writing this post led me back to some musings I had scribbled during the first year of my writing journey. At the time, I was questioning where I fit in, and it’s a question I am still unable to answer perfectly. Markets and genres are important ways to define our writing, yet these are areas …
I Can’t Write
by Cynthia Hickey My days have passed, my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart 12 turn night into day; in the face of the darkness light is near. Job 17: 11-12 Writing is a tough business. Someone once told me you can learn the craft of writing, but to be a storyteller is a gift from God. …
When You Hit a Writing Drought
by Glynn Young Since the time I was a reporter for my college newspaper, longer ago than I care to admit, writing has been an integral part of my life. I’ve been a reporter, editor, newsletter editor, speechwriter, public relations manager, novelist, short story writer, non-fiction book author, blogger, book reviewer, essayist, poet, and more. Writing has been central in …
Subplot Sanity
By Amy Deardon I always found subplots confusing, so I took some time to look into them. We all know that subplots add depth and richness to a straight narrative. However, creating subplots can be REALLY HARD to imagine. One reason I believe this is so, ultimately, is that several types of story narratives are conflated into the term “subplot.” …
Balancing the Story, Bridging the Gap
by Aubrey Reiss Taylor @aubtaybooks I’m a bit of an anomaly when it comes to WWII fiction. From the start, I have passionately focused on German-Perspective stories, favoring characters and storylines that challenge stereotypes and turn the standard tropes on their heads. It’s not about denying ugly truths—it’s about sinking deep into their side of the story. The task of …
Thanksgiving at Charlotte Lake
by Donald L. Reavis It’s Thanksgiving Day. I expect you’re looking for a heart-touching, tear-jerking story of a Thanksgiving past. I did my research and found one that may fit that description. This comes from an old friend of mine, William Lindberg. Over fifty years ago, William and his young wife, Claire, left their family in Wisconsin and moved west …
Visible Virtues: Prayerful Prudence
by Christine Sunderland @Chrisunderland A note from Christine: This post is dedicated to Charlie Kirk and his family Today is September 11, or “Nine-Eleven” as we recall it twenty-four years later, when the infamous and horrific attack by radical Islamists on New York’s World Trade Center buildings woke America from her sleep. It was a path chosen by those pilots, …
What’s in a Name?
by Deborah Raney There are many different ways authors come up with names for their characters and even more stories surrounding character names. Here are just a few of my stories. I wanted 12 kids and had a list of 24 names for boys and girls long before my first baby was born. Some of those names that I didn’t …
Be a Different Egg. Don’t Get Scrambled!
By Cynthia Herron @C_Herronauthor All of us have met people who are “different eggs.” Different eggs march (or roll) to the beat of a very distinct drum. They come from various walks of life and they have a unique approach to the world around them. Maybe you’re one of those eggs–a delightful creative who thinks in the abstract and acts …
When Real Life Hijacks Your Writing Schedule (And How God Can Take It Back)
by Fayla Ott There’s a saying around my house: If Mom plans it, watch out and cover your head. The sky will most certainly fall. Maybe that’s why my guys are known to wear hats. I’m addicted to planners, lists, and charts. It’s like a sickness that can’t be medicated. My office looks like an Office Depot had a baby …