How to Write a Detective Team

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Mystery/Suspense, tips, writing 1 Comment

by JPC Allen I’ll state the obvious: if you want to write a mystery, you must have a detective. But detectives come in all shapes and sizes, so you have a lot of room to develop an interesting main character. As you write, you might find your story is better if you have a duo of detectives. When I began …

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 …

Stealing the Heart of the Reader

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By Marie E. Bast @mariebast1 To steal the heart of the reader, a story must have a solid plot line and the protagonist must believe a lie about him or herself, which will cause obstacles and hinder them achieving their plot goal. This problem will become obvious at the inciting incident and first plot point. Each chapter, like a golf …

I love that about you!

ACFWAuthors and writing, Critiques, Encouragement, Faith, Fear/Doubt, tips, writing 6 Comments

by Julia Fenstermacher Growing up without my mother was hard. I did not realize how much I needed affirmation and acknowledgement until it came to me in my teen years. My Dad did his best to raise us three kids single-handedly. He was a purpose driven corporate ex-military man who traveled for work. When he was home, he cooked gourmet …

Mesmerizing Mysteries and How to Master Them

ACFWAuthors and writing, Mystery/Suspense, Organization, Plots, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing 2 Comments

By Sarah Sundin @sarahsundin What makes a satisfying mystery? As in all novels, we need intriguing lead characters, a captivating premise, and a setting that supports the story on both a physical and emotional level. But mysteries also have a cast of suspects and an interwoven plot with suspects and investigators acting and reacting to each other. Ideally, the reader …

Top Five things Christian Writers need in their Writing Toolbox

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by Cindy Ervin Huff @Cindyhuff11Huff Christian writers, like secular writers, have a plethora of help available to them as they craft their books. Classes, conferences, webinars, coaches, to name a few. But Christian writers whose heart is to follow His guidance as we write have five essential tools to help us succeed. 1. Prayer It is easy to wake up …

Writing about Grief, Pain and Sorrow

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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 …

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 …

Cookies & Ice Cream, the Who, What, Where, When & Why

ACFWAuthors and writing, Organization, Plots, Story Structure, tips, writing 10 Comments

By Desiree Future @Desiree_Future As an avid movie watcher, I enjoy various kinds of flicks. Faith-based, drama, action, and romance always intrigue me. Sometimes, I’ll plop on my sofa with my cat on my lap and take in a good show. Other times, I’ll head to the movie theater to see the matinee of a new screening. Recently I was …