By Kathleen Y’Barbo Now that I commute for my job, I love listening to podcasts. I can thank my daughter for this habit, as she’s the one who told me I should give them a try. Most of the time, I listen to writing-related podcasts. My list isn’t particularly long, but I do have a few favorites. Joanna Penn’s The …
Writing the Spiritual Coming-of-Age Story for Teens
By Rondi Bauer Olson I was raised in a very conservation Christian denomination. Conservative, of course, means different things to different people. For me it meant rules. Lots and lots of rules. I had to wear a dress. I couldn’t watch TV or go to movies. And I couldn’t read novels. Or, at least, I wasn’t supposed to. There was …
Sometimes Real Life Can Become a Novel
By Ane Mulligan The second book in my Chapel Lake series, Chapel Springs Survival,came from a real life event-and became a mother’s retribution. Insert creepy music and evil laughter. The day started out normal, boring even. Then I got a phone call from our eldest son. “Hey, Mom. I emailed you some pictures. Take a look and call me back.” …
First Drafts: Fast and Free
By Katherine Reay As I write this, The Bronte Plot launches in two weeks and my next manuscript is due in a few days… As you read it, both are behind me. And at both times, I’m buried in first drafts. My son is working on college application essays and one of my daughters is tackling her first two high …
Writing What You Know…Emotionally
By Martha Rogers From early on in my writing days, I was taught to write what I knew most about. During my college days, that didn’t amount to a whole lot in my opinion. In looking back at those days and some of the manuscripts, I find stories about high school romances, college days, and perfect families. I was writing …
Writing Productivity, Big and Small Chunk Style
By Allie Pleiter How much writing do you get done in a sitting? The answer feeds a lot more than your progress toward a deadline-it can tell you a lot about your writing life and writing needs. What do I mean by “big” or “small”? While my book goes into much greater detail, the basic concept is this: If you …
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
By Elizabeth Musser We’ve all heard the quip, when starting out on the writing journey, ‘don’t quit your day job.’ It is usually offered by a caring friend (or editor) who knows that making a living in the writing world can be daunting. But I’ve found that keeping my day job has not only put food on the table, but …
Lies Writers Believe (and the Truth that Sets them Free!)
By Danica Favorite You might recognize the title concept from Susan May Warren’s teaching. The things holding our characters back are often the same things that hold us back as writers and as people. I remember thinking about a few issues in my own life, and the lightbulb kicked on. I believe lies. So much of my personal writing success …
What’s One Piece of Advice You’d Give a Struggling Writer
By Patricia Bradley If you know me, you know I won’t stop at one. ? But first, I want to tell you a little story. (I know, no backstory for the first 50 pages, but I’m going to break the rules just this once.) The year I turned 35, I had a lot of trouble sleeping. One night as I …
Pulled In
by Christa Kinde Good stories tell the truth. When the hero of a story invites us to share their adventure, we respond in real ways. Their predicament knots our stomach. We cringe at their embarrassment. Pangs of grief have us grabbing for tissues. And we cheer over their triumphs, big or small. Because we understand. Because we can relate. Because …