Be Yourself

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, tips, writing 5 Comments

By Loretta Eidson @lorettajedison Did you ever think you could become an author? I didn’t. Well, not until the tug in my heart pulled me in that direction. Who was I to join the team of such an overwhelming, impressive profession? Who knew the journey would be so challenging? Starting at the bottom forced me to face my fears of …

The Greatest Short Story Ever Told

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By Michael House @real_housemd I’ve had people tell me at events where I’m displaying my books (all novels) that they only read non-fiction, because fiction is frivolous and not “fact-based.” Well, I believe Jesus himself would beg to differ. He presented many teachings in the form of parables, and he has inspired so much great (and useful!) writing from the …

Writing about Grief, Pain and Sorrow

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Description, Encouragement, tips, writing 2 Comments

by Allie Pleiter @alliepleiter We want our books to touch readers. For that to happen, our characters must go through deep emotions, letting the experiences transform them and their faith. Even those of us who write with a touch of humor need to plumb the depths of life’s journey to write a book that feels as significant as it does …

Singing the Song of Truth

ACFWAuthors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, writing 1 Comment

By Christine Sunderland @Chrisunderland Christians have long sought to portray truth. They look to Moses and the Ten Commandments etched into tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai that became the foundation of their worship and life together, the Ark of the Covenant. The Ninth Commandment forbids false witness, for God’s law leads to God’s truth about who we are and …

The Voice Inside You

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Friends of ACFW, tips, writing 1 Comment

By Nancy Mehl @nancymehl When I first started writing, I was excited about the future. I finally knew who I was. What I was born to do! But after a while I began to realize just how much work it was going to take. How much it would impact time spent with my family and my friends. It was clear …

A Story’s Right to Life

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Fear/Doubt, writing 2 Comments

by Felicia Ferguson @Felicia_writer Christopher Hitchins is quoted as saying, “Everyone has a book in them and that, in most cases, is where it should stay.” But what about those lesser cases? Those stories that do need to be released? Need to be given life? January 22nd was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, and while I fully support a human’s …

The Talent of Tenacity

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Perseverance, writing 3 Comments

By Tanara McCauley @TanaraMcCauley There’s a story my father loves to tell to anyone who’ll listen. It’s an embarrassing boast of the my-kid-could’ve-been-this variety, and I shake my head whenever I hear its intro. He recounts how, when I was a scrawny eighth-grade sprinter on the track team, I missed the start of an 800-meter race due to an untimely …

Bless You and Keep You

ACFWAdvice, Encouragement, Faith, writing 2 Comments

by Julia Fenstermacher The day after Christmas, “Poetry Moment” on NPR (National Public Radio) featured a poem I wrote. The poem came to me this past year out of a time of frustration. I was very busy with good writerly things: my new author newsletter, attending the Write to Publish conference, serving as our local ACFW chapter VP, and creating …

You’re Not Going to Drown

ACFWAuthors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Fear/Doubt, writing 5 Comments

by John Matthew Walker @jdubmd Familiar with the huge numbers that swarmed him daily, Jesus and his disciples went to the lakeshore early in the morning. When the crowds gathered and pressed around him, Jesus and his disciples climbed into a boat a pushed off the shore. He stood at taught them from the boat. The day stretched on and …