By Cynthia Ruchti Two passages diverged in a yellow wood. And I… I took the one with subtext And that has made All the difference. (with apologies to Robert Frost) When writing, critiquing, judging, or editing a story, attention to subtext can make all the difference. It deserves another look. When writing instructors talk about the elements that mark the …
The Magic Triangle: Exploring Wounds for Deeper Fiction
By Connilyn Cossette Have you read a book in which the characters seem flat? Lifeless? I certainly have. The plot may be great and the writing lyrical, but if the characters do not leap from the page the story will either leave readers unsatisfied or end up in the graveyard-of-unfinished-books. Since our goal is to provide an experience where readers …
Adding Flesh to the Bone: Writing Compelling Historical/Biblical Fiction
By Mesu Andrews If you’re invited to my house for a quiet evening, you should hope I only serve dessert. I’m not a terrible cook, but my main dishes usually come from a box. Why? Because the only seasonings I know how to use are salt and pepper, which makes most of my food-from-scratch taste…well, bland. When our daughter and …
Relatable Characters
By Ane Mulligan Is your character one you either like or at least relate to? Nobody truly likes Scarlet O’Hara, but nearly everyone relates to her on some level. The protagonist needs to have relatable or endearing flaws and quirks. Does the characterization remain constant? After the peak of the character arc, the character may become sensitive to their main …
Mirror, Mirror: Using A Character’s Surroundings to Show & Not Tell
By Hannah Conway Show, don’t tell. I’m sure we’ve all heard that before. Some of us may have even rolled our eyes a time or two upon hearing those words from a critique partner, or editor. I may, or may not, have rolled my eyes…no judging. Show. Don’t tell. Um, hello, it’s a novel. We HAVE to tell some things. …
Don’t Let These 5 Confusing Words Mar Your Image
By Dianna Booher Tom’s an articulate physician, totally able to speak his mind and express a strong point of view. But when he repeatedly says “between you and I,” that grammatical error has the same effect as a big splotch of mustard on the front of his suit and tie. Words matter-particularly, the wrong ones. Or the right ones used …
The Juggling Act: Working Full-time and Writing
By Amy Clipston People often ask me, “How do you work a full-time job and write books?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead I sweetly reply, “I just make it work.” Unlike many authors, I work a full-time for a local government, in addition to writing four books per year for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. While other …
Writing Your Manuscript a Third at a Time
By Johnnie Alexander Every manuscript begins as an idea-perhaps a character whose voice won’t leave us alone or a situation that demands to be explored. Our challenge is to turn that idea into a story. What blueprint, plan, or method will we use? One popular approach is to write the draft fast. Anyone who has participated in NaNoWriMo understands the …
Write What You Know?
By Katherine Reay As I generate ideas for my next novel, I realize a certain theme in everything I write. If you’ve read anything of mine, you’d probably say “classic literature.” While you wouldn’t be wrong… Goodness knows, with titles like Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane and The Bronte Plot, how could you be? But there’s a deeper theme… …
Why it’s Important for Mystery/Suspense Writers to Consider Motive
By Janice Cantore In criminal court, ascertaining motive or intent is an integral part of the legal process and sets the tone for sentencing. The determination of a person’s motive can mean the difference between the death penalty, life in prison, a long sentence, a short sentence, and freedom. In the same way, the bad guy’s motive in a mystery …