April 2026 Master Class
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Helena George, a former conference attendee, has blogged for Write2Ignite several times. Her fantasy young adult novel, Ships, Secrets and Survivors was reviewed in September. In this post, she shares some thoughts on writing and music. ******** One thing I’ve noticed...
Social Media for Today’s Writer offers practical advice for building an author platform. Read a full review here.
Scripture references: Psalm 5:1-3, Psalm 88:13, Hebrews 4:16 "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he...
Social media can be intimidating, especially for a new or pre-published author. There are so many options — so how do we choose?
I have loved watching movie shorts since I was little but making one myself was harder than I expected. I quickly realized that I needed a grasp of basic storytelling, scriptwriting, filming, and editing in order to produce even a short, three-minute-long movie. My...
Trust When You Can't See the Way Forward by Ava Pennington Ever feel as if you’re writing plans have gone off track? Maybe you’ve decided there’s no point in having writing goals since none of them have come to fruition. What do you do if your writing life is not...
The Write2Ignite team is very excited about hosting Laura Sassi for our Picture Book Master Class on April 24. We thought you would enjoy getting to know her so she kindly agreed to this email interview. INTERVIEW CAROL: What inspired you to become a writer? Was this...
Where Do Writing Ideas Come From? by Guest Blogger, Theresa P. Pierce About ten years ago, as a Curriculum Coach, I met children’s writer and curriculum instructor Lester Laminack. Over dinner, at the Wrenn House in Salisbury, NC, he taught a room...
It’s almost Valentine’s Day. If you’re reading this post, you probably have a Valentine who loves to write books for children. If so, I can’t think of a more loving gift than to give that Valentine a Write2Ignite Gift Certificate. For Just $79 you can give that...
Comp titles are an opportunity to highlight the best elements of our stories. But where do we find titles that will pack a punch?
Scripture references: Psalm 5:3, Psalm 27:13-14, Romans 8:23-26 In these next few posts, I'd like to share with you some lessons that I've learned about prayer. As a Christian writer, I believe that every word I pen should be birthed from time spent in prayer before...
Have you chosen a word for 2021? A word to guide you into this new year?
Making time to spend with God a priority – the best new year resolution for 2021!
Making time to spend with God a priority – the best new year resolution for 2021!
Suffer Strong: A Book Review by Kathryn Dover I reviewed Katherine and Jay Wolf’s first book, Hope Heals, a few months ago and have been looking forward to reading the sequel, Suffer Strong (Zondervan, 2020). Suffer Strong is different from its predecessor but...
A Review by Jean Matthew Hall of STEERING THE CRAFT: A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GUIDE TO SAILING THE SEA OF STORY by Ursula K. LeGuin Dear Writers, If the beauty of language thrills you; If you love weaving words, sounds and silences as they move readers through a story;...
by Jean Matthew Hall Gus Makes a Fuss is a cute and funny introductory story to Puddle Dog Press’ Pet Sitters series for new readers (in grades one through three). Our own Penny Reeve co-authors this series. Lina and Cassie have been best friends forever. They...
WELCOME BACK, WRITE2IGNITE. Praise God! 2021 has already been filled with blessings for Write2Ignite. December 2020 tried to drag us down. Our website went into cardiac arrest around December 17. It died. It was frustrating. It was saddening. But it was the open door...
Are you looking forward to a New Year with no mistake (to paraphrase Anne of Green Gables)? Have you been searching for another way to keep track of all your writerly progress? Enter THE BULLET JOURNAL!! It's a unique method for organizing your life - no matter what...
I'm baking. The wonderful aromas of spices, vanilla & chocolates fill my house. My kitchen is a big mess with flour & sugar everywhere. Chocolate chips & sprinkles decorate my island. My little freezer is bulging with the goodies I'm making to share with...
Flipped for the Flip Dictionary! Writers use a wide variety of resources. You probably own a dictionary (or two!) and a thesaurus. Perhaps you have a market guide such as the Christian Writer’s Market Guide on your bookshelf. You may use The Chicago Manual of...
Has anyone ever spoken over you and it felt prophetic? After talking through my writing path, someone said to me, “See, you are a writer.” It was a game-changer. In college, I wrote for the campus newspaper. As Teacher of the Year, I wrote articles for the system...
In college, research papers would make my stomach churn. It felt like a daunting task that hovered over the fun of learning something new. As important as research is when writing a novel, I have learned that I can approach it in a way that makes it more fun and...
How can a believer stand firm in their faith in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances? In this post, I'd like to share the lessons I've gleaned while studying the battle records of David's mighty men, in particular, the exploits of Eleazar and Shammah. Now,...
"Too few [writers] are open to the possibility that the business side calls for as much imagination as the artistic process itself . . . An open attitude toward business can provide focus, discipline, and, sometimes most importantly, self-awareness about what you want...
I do not read many fantasy novels, but when I heard about LAUNCH by Jason C. Joyner (Little Lamb Books, 2020), it appealed to me. LAUNCH follows the story of four teenagers, Sarah Jane, Lily, Demarcus, and Harry, as they experience the Launch Conference hosted by...
Being Thanksgiving Day, I want to show my gratitude for technology. If it weren't for the Internet, Zoom, and our devices, we would be isolated indeed! Virtual Research Are you working on a manuscript, but finding it difficult to do the research you need, since...
"Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Ps. 34:11 NKJV As a group of writers dedicated to sharing our faith with the next generation, do we effectively communicate thanksgiving and hope in difficult events as well as holidays? Why...
Nicknames At 11 years of age, I wanted to be a Native American and live in a tepee. I thought of the perfect name too. “Mom,” I asked, “can you call me Li’l Sunflower?” Mom seemed both surprised and amused. “Why do you want me to call you Little Sunflower?” “Just...
Looking for marketing ideas for your book(s)? Whether it’s a new release or a backlist title, here’s an idea to help market your book that fits perfectly in this month of thanksgiving. And no worries about learning a new skill. This is something we all learned in...
While you’re accumulating your list of blessings to share around the Thanksgiving table, don’t forget to include these features that make up your writing journey. You can find many reasons to be thankful for it this season. Be thankful for… A never-ending...
A survey of high-risk teens asked with whom did they feel safe and protected. The options the survey gave were: EMT’s, police officers, lawyers, doctors, and veterans. The troubled youth valued the veterans and said they respected them the most. Thus, mentoring...
"The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."--Luke 6:45 (BSB) Our words and actions reflect what fills our...
In a very old hymn, Be Thou My Vision, there is one line that I particularly love. “Be my best thought by day or by night.” In modern terms, what does this look like? Let your thoughts be about Jesus and He will keep you in perfect peace. Fixing our thoughts on Jesus...
REVIEW Pebbles is a wonderful, reflective collection of devotionals with modern-day parables suitable for readers in their mid-teens written by one of our Write2Ignite bloggers, Leah Meahl. Girl readers in particular may be more inclined to draw similarities...
Do you love to travel? Adore adventure? Can't stand monotony? Love to write? Sound like someone you know? If so, travel writing might be for you. When the coronavirus is no longer a global threat, the world will slowly open for exploration. And when it does, you can...
As I've transitioned from news writing to fiction writing over the past few years, I've learned that writing dialogue is much different than recording quotes. I can't tell you how many hours I spent transcribing interviews during my undergraduate degree in journalism....
Create Free and Easy Videos for Social Media Using Lumen5 videos (Note: This is an update of a previous Write2Ignite post.) Ever feel like Sisyphus? In Greek mythology, the gods punished Sisyphus for his greed and deceit by assigning an impossible task. They required...
TIP #5 Use context to recognize, understand, and interpret literal and metaphorical language. Historical, social, cultural, and biblical contexts are essential for understanding literal and metaphorical elements in speech and writing. Accurate understanding should...
Writing takes up a lot of alone time. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that many other writers are facing the same questions and struggles over the keyboard that you are. If you take the time to broaden your circle of writing peers, I guarantee that you and your...
closed circuit (noun, Electricity). "a circuit without interruption, providing a continuous path through which a current can flow." (dictionary.com) When it comes to modern technology, a closed circuit is an incredibly useful thing. Closed circuits allow electricity...
When I received an email about Cracks in the Ice by Deanna K. Klingel , I could not wait to read it. While I enjoyed the novel, it was not what I expected. The synopsis on the back cover described the protagonist, Gina Mangalli, as a mafia princess, but the...
TIP#4 Recognize valid situations where literal and metaphorical meanings co-exist. Statements may have both literal and metaphorical meanings without being ambiguous, equivocal, or contradictory. Acronyms and acrostics, homonyms and antonyms, sound devices like...
Our logo truly became a reality to me last Saturday as I attended the online Fiction Master Class taught by the gifted Joyce Moyer Hostetter. Not only has she written a popular MG Historical fiction series, but she is able to impart her knowledge of writing to her...
Ships, Secrets, and Survivors , the debut novel by Sarah Rodecker and Helena George, caught my eye when it was announced. It promised assassins on the run, swashbuckling pirates, and mysterious murders. As I had never read a pirate fantasy novel before, I didn’t know...
Have you ever experienced disappointment? Silly question, isn’t it? Because we’ve all been disappointed at one time or another. We live in a broken, sin-sick world. Disappointment is part of the package. But it’s not the only part. I know. Because I’ve lived this out....
When I first heard about the Baker Mountain series by Joyce Moyer Hostetter, Drive, the fourth book in the series, sounded the most interesting. Drive occurs several years after the previous novel, Comfort, and follows the story of Ida and Ellie Honeycutt, Ann Fay’s...
Whenever I come up with an idea, I immediately start planning my next novel. With my latest project however, I have learned to practice the art of shorter stories, or in my case, parables. A parable is “a simple story used to illustrate a moral or religious lesson.”...
"Remember that 'author' is always a temporary job description . . . Your permanent job description is 'writer' and that's what you are even when no one else is looking." --Author Kristoper Jansma (quoted in Before and After the Book Deal, pp. 333) Today's publishing...
Write2Ignite’s Writing Fiction Master Class is coming up Sept. 19! In just two weeks, author Joyce Moyer Hostetter will be presenting three sessions to help attendees learn more about fiction writing. Plus, the Write2Ignite team will be leading three workshops to help...
TIP #3 Don’t avoid tough literal situations by referring to them only as metaphors. Taking literal language metaphorically is equally problematic. Kids can be masters of metaphor. Ask “Didn’t I tell you not to play in the mud?” and they...
On one of my blog posts, where I shared a "Flash Fiction" piece, a commenter had mentioned that I had "a voice". I can't tell you how thrilled I was with that revelation! I kept saying to myself, over and over: "I have a voice! I have a voice!" as if I had received...
TIP #2 Don’t interpret literally what is supposed to be understood metaphorically. Taking figurative language literally is a problem that leads to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Does the photo above depict sunshine or shadow? A literal book title based...
This month marks the 106th anniversary of the first electric traffic system installed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914. Four sets of red and green lights told drivers when to stop and go. The Cleveland Automobile Club praised the system, saying they expected that it was...
Comfort, the third book in Joyce Moyer Hostetter’s Bakers Mountain series, picks up almost exactly where the previous novel, Blue, left off. Ann Fay Honeycutt narrates this novel as well. The polio epidemic and World War II have left her family shattered, and Ann Fay...
How would you explain the love of God? Or the grace of a savior? How would you describe life as a Christian to a believer vs. a non-believer? I typically revert to storytelling. Why? Because of illustrations. That’s what I set out to do with my new book, Pebbles: 31...
One of the most boring books I ever read was about Jesus. Okay – to be honest, I mostly said that to get your attention – please don’t get mad and click over to Facebook! But, the truth is, I never actually finished reading Joshua by Joseph Girzone because...
I’ve been working from home for 21 weeks. This prolonged period of isolation has given me time to reflect on happier times in life: adventures and excitement in college, friendships forged in high school, and time spent reading with my mom as a child. Those were the...
"The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer."--Zadie Smith Write2Ignite's 2020 Master class with Joyce Moyer Hostetter is only a month away. The Write2Ignite team has suggested checking out several chapters of...
According to Elaine Marie Alphin ( Creating Characters Kids Will Love p. 2) “Kids read because a magical closeness springs up between them and the characters in books and stories—the same magical closeness I felt as a child. They read because a writer has brought a...
Tip #1: Use clear definitions and illustrations to distinguish literal from metaphorical. For writers and readers alike, understanding the terms literal and figurative (metaphorical) is essential: what do they actually mean? And how can we distinguish the way language...
We've all had longings or yearnings during our lives, especially when we were young. Having the whole world before us, we could dream about what our lives would look like as writers/authors. "If only I could publish a book" "I wish I could find the perfect literary...
The year 2020 has been full of surprises. We’ve all had to regroup, rethink, reconsider many things that we have taken for granted for decades. It’s been inconvenient, true. But it has also been fruitful. New needs and inconveniences usually force us into innovative...
Conference season will be kicking up again in the fall, including the Write2Ignite Master Class. And it’s not too early to start planning. Now, you may be thinking, I’ve been to a writer’s conference—maybe even several. So why should you attend yet another one – even...
In my book, Drive, Ida and Ellie Honeycutt are forced by difficult circumstances to step out of their natural roles. As identical twins, they see and experience the world differently but are so emotionally connected that they easily understand the other’s viewpoint....
Writing dialogue is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. If done well, using dialogue can strengthen your manuscript and turn an average story into an engaging ride people will be talking about long after they read it. Here are 3 examples of how your story...
“When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.” -Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft You've probably never thought to ask for editing tips from a...
Some stories — even if written during a different time — are applicable to every generation of teens because they help with interpreting culture. First published in 1967, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, has inspired readers for more than 50 years. Hinton, just...
I was excited to follow Junior Bledsoe’s journey in the second novel in the Baker Mountain series, Blue. Junior does not have as large a role in this novel as he does in the series’ previous novel, Aim, but his character is crucial because he helps his friend and...
Paris is one of my favorite cities. Its history and ambiance intrigue me. There is something about strolling down the streets of Paris, crossing the bridges, or walking along the Seine, even in the rain, that can't be experienced anywhere else in the world. It...
I have been interested in reading the Bakers Mountain series by Joyce Moyer Hostetter since I first heard about it at Write2Ignite 2018. When I was offered this opportunity to review all four books in the series, I gladly accepted. I am beginning my reviews with Aim,...
God lays out the Key to REAL Success ’Tis the season of graduations…and graduation speeches. And almost every speech will encourage the graduates in their pursuit of success. Let’s face it. No one wakes up thinking, today I will strive to be a failure. Yet we often...
This information is for writers of fiction seeking an agent. If you hope to have your book published by a traditional publishing house (Christian or general market) you will very possibly need an agent. Have you been thinking about searching for one? The task is...
Presenting to a writing workshop or class always made me feel like I was about to ride a rollercoaster. Though I like rollercoasters, my heart and stomach do a sickening tango due to exhilaration and fear. Writing workshops are well worth the nausea, however, and you...
I hadn’t been to church since February, and I was starting to feel disconnected from God. During my first week back in a sanctuary, God spoke to me through a literary device — repetition. My church stopped hosting in-person services at the beginning of March because...
Back around 1996, my friend, Dave told me that when he was fourteen, his father died. At the funeral, a woman said to him, “I guess you’ll have to be the man of the house now.” Dave said to me. “I did not want to be the man of the house. I wasn’t ready for that...
"'So why does our writing matter again?' they ask. Because of the spirit, I say. Because of the heart. Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul." --Anne Lamott, pp. 237 Bird by Bird by...
”Do You Hear the People Sing?” * ”I Dreamed a Dream” — that They Won All! * Am I ”On My Own” in this? * Les Mis should have won more Oscar Awards! At first, I was discontented. Well, okay, miserable . Only three awards out of eight possible? C'mon!...
Sixth in the Write2Ignite Self-publishing series by Debbie DeCiantis In 2016, Write2Ignite Conference began receiving a lot of questions about non-traditional options like hybrid-and self-publishing. When our spring conference that year had to be canceled (actually,...
Think back to the resolutions or goals you set in January. Less than 5 months ago, yet it feels like years have passed! Did you write them down? Do you remember what they were…or would you rather forget? How well have you done with your goals? Perhaps you haven’t...
While a touch ponderous at times, Dennis Peterson’s Combat! Lessons on Spiritual Warfare from Military History gives a good overview of military history with a strong spiritual explanation of how God’s hand has shaped history. The book takes a deep look at historic...
“All the best parts of art come from pain turned to celebration.” -Natalia Kills When life’s circumstances put you in a rut, a hole, or even a deep pit of despair and loss, we have a powerful tool at our disposal: our writing. Pain is a universal aspect of life that...
The Land Beneath Us is the third and final novel in Sarah Sundin’s Sunrise at Normandy series. I have read numerous Sarah Sundin novels and enjoyed them all; her stories are the perfect balance of romance and mystery in a well-researched historical environment....
The English language has many interesting components to work with, and one of my favorite ways to add personality to my writing is through punctuation! In grade school, you learned about the different end marks: periods, exclamation marks, and question marks. You...
"I ask again, 'What are your Writing Goals?' Now sit down and write them out and put them where you can see them every day," (Lynette Hall Hampton, Writer to Writer, pp. 9) In the sum of the writing resources I've read, the importance of setting writing goals is a...
My mother and I were surprised to see Katherine Wolf at a Going Beyond Live conference we attended last summer; we had never heard of her. We had gone to see Priscilla Shirer and had not expected any other speakers. At this conference, Mrs. Wolf told a short version...
Sweat drips down my back. I can actually see the heat rising in a misty line from the asphalt of the streets. But we have to keep going. I hike my backpack higher on my shoulders, hoping for some relief from the weight of the water bottles inside it and turn to...
Do you hear the people sing? Well, no. But I do hear fears expressed and complaints a-plenty! There was trouble during the French Revolution, and there is trouble today in the form of a virus -- the coronavirus. Although many are in dread of the contagious enemy, we...
Last week our teen reviewer, Kathryn Cover, reviewed Penny Reeve's book, CAMP MAX. This week, we welcome Penny back to our blog for an inside look at being a Christian children's writer in Australia. I am a Christian children’s and YA author living and writing in...
Waiting is hard for most of us. And right now most of us are practicing some form of “sheltering in place” to distance ourselves from COVID-19 as we wait for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to fade away. Whether it’s waiting out COVID-19 or waiting for a writing-related project,...
How can a social-distancing writer focus on 1) writing progress and 2) spiritual wellbeing? If you’re getting plenty of alone time, writing should be easy, right? But you’re still living in unfamiliar circumstances, perhaps removed from routines or places that inspire...
I enjoyed reading the delightful children’s story, Camp Max by Penny Reeve. The illustrations drew me into the book. The first page is an illustration of the main character, Tania Abbey, and several more exist throughout the book. Camp Max goes beyond being a simple...
If you are gung ho on getting a book published, be it your first or 20th, one essential component you’ll need is a book proposal. Whether you’re in the brainstorming process or just about to type “the end,” I suggest that writing the proposal sooner rather than...
"It is necessary to be hopeful to write successfully for children, yes, because children themselves are generically hopeful, but the quality of hopefulness is not an immature quality." -Natalie Babbitt ( pp 42) Natalie Babbitt's book Barking with the Big Dogs is...
Majestic Lord, Ruler of the Universe, Help me to find shelter in You this day. You are my rock, my hiding place. a high tower to whom I can run. Always. Underneath the cover of your almighty wings, Let me know your protection. Love. Mercy. and comfort. “Be...
This week has been a turning point for the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Many governors have enacted stay-at-home-orders, New York is erecting temporary field hospitals, and American manufacturers have pledged to build ventilators and protective...
This Is Your Captain Speaking is not a typical actor’s memoir, so I was pleasantly surprised when I purchased this autobiography for a quarter at a used bookstore. The title is derived from Gavin MacLeod’s popular role as the captain on the 1970s television show The...
I had the privilege of visiting England the last week of February -- one of my favorite destinations before the coronavirus situation became a deterrent for travel. I am so grateful! Since I am a historical fiction author, researching the location in...
Welcome to my fifth grade RtI group. Seated at this table are four students who have spent most of their academic careers cycling in and out of various levels of reading intervention. Seated at this table is Sara, the girl who spent last year traveling the states in...
When a friend had successful cancer surgery, she joyfully announced the results, along with her conclusion that God is good. And the social media responses were positive and predictable: Yes, God is good! God truly answers prayer! God really loves you! God is...