By Katherine Reay My second novel, Lizzy & Jane, released three days ago – and while helping the sisters find their way into the world is a top priority for me, it’s not for you. Writing that next great read is and that’s what we’re here to discuss… And that, for me, is where running comes in. I’m taking it …
On Descriptive Writing: Something…Out There!
By Lanny Smith Today is a wonderful day for me. My novella, The Christmas Beacon, is set to be released in a matter of days and I have my copies in hand. This story is special to me because it glorifies God and deals with issues of faith, hope and miracles. I want to bless as many people possible so …
Stimulus Plan: Five Tips for Re-Igniting Your Writing Career
By Janice Hanna Thompson Many writers-even published ones-go through career stalls. Things fizzle out. Interest (among editor, agents or readers) wanes. Some authors face tough times, even after experiencing great success with a first or second novel. Still others feel the downward spiral after being on the best-seller’s list. I know, from personal experience, that these seasons can be discouraging. …
When No Becomes Yes
by Davalynn Spencer During my first fiction-writer’s conference, I didn’t know what I was doing and I’m sure it showed. Hoo boy, but I did not want to be a rookie in a new field-a freshman-especially as a seasoned journalist with a master’s degree in my back pocket, two grown children, and the ability to parallel park and back up …
Modern Day Parables Without Preaching
by Cathy Gohlke We all crave stories that raise our moral bar, lift us higher, that show us clearly how we, too, can live cleaner, purer lives with hearts on fire. But no one wants to be preached to in a novel. And yet that’s just the challenge Christian writers face. We’re desperate to share the love, the very breath …
Benefits of Out Of Print Book Collections
By Gail Gaymer Martin Recently I had the opportunity to enjoy two of my OOP novellas being used in a published collection of stories with a similar theme. My novella, Apple of His Eye, was published in Barbour’s, The British Brides Collection, which included five novelist with nine stories ranging from Jane Austen to Dickens. This month, An Old-Fashioned Christmas …
Listening to the Story
By Jane Kirkpatrick Some years ago I wrote a novel based on the life of a Native American woman. I’d worked for many years on an Indian reservation and had many native friends who helped me capture the essence of this woman. The book received fine reviews and I spent a fair amount of time doing newspaper and radio interviews. …
The Creative Person’s Guide to Time Management
By Judy Christie As a writer, I am drawn to creative people-smart, funny, interesting, innovative, imaginative. I am blessed to interact with fiction writers who explore and imagine and adapt to a dizzying rate of change, a combination that clogs schedules faster than a plateful of spaghetti can clog a drain (don’t ask how I know this). Sometimes we writers …
To Quote the Queen, “That Doesn’t Match!”
by Dr. Patrick Johnston I have a problem. No sooner do I step out of the bathroom on Sunday morning does my wife take one look at me and pronounce with the authority of the Queen of England, “That doesn’t match!” Though I really don’t see it, most of the time I just blame the curse of Adam and take …
Three Magic Phrases for a Writer
by Richard Mabry Early in my road to writing, author and teacher Alton Gansky taught me to ask a magic question: “What if?” One of his books began when he noted the presence of a military installation in a deserted location and asked himself, “What if that base suddenly disappeared?” The result was an excellent book. And it began with …