Christmas is just around the corner. Shops are full of gift ideas while carols play in the background, neighborhoods are decorated with lights and all sorts of holiday displays, cookies are baking with the wonderful smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, and gingerbread filling...
Holidays
Book Review: Christmas on the Goblin Express
J.J. Fischer specializes in fantastic Christian fantasy, and her newest book, Christmas on The Goblin Express, might her most fun read yet. This cozy Christmas romantasy is the perfect book to kick off the holiday season. A Summary of the Story: To escape Christmas,...
Interview with Sonja Anderson about Her New Picture Book, A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse: A St. Lucia Celebration
Today, I’d like to introduce Sonja Anderson and her new picture book, A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse: A St. Lucia Celebration (illustrated by Agnieszka Potocka) just out this fall from Tyndale Kids. This lovely story of love and hope is sure to become a...
**Bonus Post**: Two Exciting Christmas Picture Book Releases
I’m excited to share with you two unique Christmas pictures books that have released this month. As we head into the holiday season, be sure to check these out! They would make the perfect gift for the child in your life. Meanwhile, Back at the Manger by Brenda Covert...
2 Corinthians 8: The Grace of Giving
Why does giving matter? In 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Paul describes the grace of giving and urges the church to care for those in need.
Art Must be Communal
Last week started with the Super Bowl and ended with Valentine’s Day. This Super Bowl was the most watched one yet, and while Valentine’s Day is on a downward trajectory, it is still celebrated by more than half of Americans. This is good. As a country that can feel...
Writing & Making Pizza by Pam Halter
Happy New Year’s Eve Eve! In two days, it will be 2025. A new year with no mistakes in it. Tomorrow has no mistakes in it. The next 5 minutes have no mistakes in them. The next 3 seconds have no mistakes in them. Your new manuscript, which you have not started yet,...
Letters From Father Christmas: The Joy of Storytelling
Join us for a discussion of Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien and the joy of storytelling.
An Interview with Amy Houts by Sue Irwin
This week, I had the privilege of interviewing Amy Houts. I met Amy a couple of years ago at my first-ever Write2Ignite Master Class, and I’m happy to reconnect with her now as she celebrates the release of her two most recent books, The Creation and Noah’s Ark...
Thanksgiving in the Woods and Thanksgiving Memories by Marci Whitehurst
Growing up, I loved Thanksgiving. It was one of the few times my extended family got together. And while it wasn’t anywhere close to a Norman Rockwell experience, being together meant so much to my young heart. My aunt usually hosted, and she was a fantastic cook. I...
A Turkey for Thanksgiving Book Review
A Turkey for Thanksgiving, by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Diane de Groat, is the perfect picture book to read for Thanksgiving.
Red, White, & Blue: 5 Picture Books for Summer Reading
Looking for books to enjoy during summer reading? Check out these five picture books (themed with red, white, and blue covers).
Universal Topics That Honor God by Marci Whitehurst
As the blog coordinator for Write2Ignite, I am thankful for every writer who gives his or her time and energy to share godly inspiration, writing tips, and encouragement. I am sad to see bloggers leave us, but I understand that blogging is a big commitment. I am...
Amy Houts: Another Write2Ignite Success Story
I have fun connecting people to one another. My fun is doubled when I get to share how authors connect with a publisher--particularly through Write2Ignite! In January I told you how Laura Petrisin signed with Monarch Educational Services. Here is more news--Amy Houts...
Don’t Give Children Nightmare Fuel
Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 1st Peter 5:8 CSB I walked into the kitchen, and there, tied up and in a pot, just waiting to be boiled, was my family. Yoda...
Lullaby For the King: A New Picture Book by Nikki Grimes by A Review by Carol Baldwin
The calendar tells me it's October, but before you know it, December will be here and it'll be time for the holidays. I'm getting ahead of the game with today's book review. Many of you are familiar with the multi-talented award-winning children's author Nikki...
Tips for 5 Best Gifts to Give Yourself as a Writer
Are you hurrying and scurrying to get your last-minute shopping done? Is your writing set aside in the hustle and bustle of the season? Are you still looking for presents for your spouse…kids…grandkids…parents…friends…and writer friends, too? This year, don’t forget...
What We Are Thankful For by the Write2Ignite Team
Penny Reeve, our "Next-Steps" Facebook Group Coordinator I’m thankful for opportunities to think about my faith in God, for the miracle of salvation and the wonder of grace – and then to be able to write for children and young people in a way that might honour these...
Happy Birthday, Christmas Child, A Counting Nativity Book by Laura Sassi, reviewed by Kathy O’Neill
Sharing Christmas books such as Happy Birthday, Christmas Child with little ones is a wonderful way to provide time to treasure the true story of Christmas.
Year-End Reflections: Quieting Our Souls for The New Year
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is the perfect time for reflections. Here are a few journaling prompts to help you reflect and quiet your spirit for the coming year.
Always Winter and Never Christmas
Those of us who celebrate the birth of Christ at this time of year are being distracted by the goodies of this world. Stuff. Celebration. Santa. Food. And more stuff.
But what about Christmas?
The Best Yes: Make the Most of Your Holiday Season By Doing Less
Thanksgiving and Christmas are on their way. Are you ready to say no to obligations and slow down this holiday season?
Alternative Fall Activities for the Family
If you are uncomfortable with celebrating ghosts, skeltons and demons at Halloween, I have some alternative family-friendly fall festivities for you! Before I offer links to other ideas, I will list a few of my own (certainly not original with me) for you to try:
Spread the News in a Newsletter
As social media reach becomes more restricted, how can authors reach their readers? Develop an email list!
Fun Ideas for Researching Your Novel
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...
Writer, Do You Have the Cabin Fever Blues?
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...
A Season of Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks in Troubled Times
"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...
HOPE HEALS: Book Review by Teen Reviewer, Kathryn Dover
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...
Difficult Times — Tips For Working Through the Tough Parts of Life by Emily Babbitt
Sometimes life isn’t kind, and it’s hard to focus on your job or your personal projects. Here are some tips to help you work through difficult times. Just a few weeks ago, my husband and I were involved in a hit-and-run accident with an 18-wheeler. It brushed the side...
Always Winter and Never Christmas
A few years ago I was doing some shopping in our local mall (formerly the largest in the nation, at a time when malls were a new concept.) I, of course, expected to see the typical Santa scene, with lines of tots waiting to sit on the lap of this fatherly figure to...
An Idea for Those Who Didn’t (or Couldn’t) Tackle NaNoWriMo This Month by Brenda Covert
Have you seen the social media posts from NaNoWriMo writers beating themselves up because they failed to meet their daily writing goals and pen a 50,000 word novel in November? Or they reached their goal but nearly lost their minds in the process? IMHO, those who...
July 4: A Teen Track Historical Fiction Creative Writing Contest**
Photo credit: The National Archives Teens and Tweens! In honor of the Fourth of July, this post is for you! Whether you’re a history buff or just someone who loves a challenge, here’s a holiday contest that will stump most adults in the U.S.! See entry details and...
Showing Christmas Using the Five Senses
Show; don’t tell. We hear it all the time. Don’t tell the reader, show the reader. Draw readers into your story. Make it easy for them to feel as if they're in the middle of whatever you’re writing. Prompted by a recent series of blog posts on the Hartline Literary...
The Charlotte Mason Method, Part Three
Copywork is a key component of the Charlotte Mason Method, but it is also enjoyed by many homeschoolers who do not use her method exclusively. You can create copywork that is connected to the themes you write about or you can create it based on Scripture, classical...
Hopes and Fears
December first and ready or not, the Christmas season is upon us. Reflect with us on this post, penned last year and shared by Ava Pennington. http://staging-2853-write2ignitecom.wpcomstaging.com/2015/12/16/hopes-and-fears/
Interview with Angelika Martin
by Sally Matheny Recently released, Operation Birthday Celebration—A Journey to the Manger, offers a fun Christian alternative to a popular book on a spying elf. An additional handbook, overflowing with ideas for activities and teaching moments, accompanies this...
October is……
October is rolling right along and as with all months, there are numerous things to celebrate or become aware of. (Thanks to Edie Melson at The Write Conversation for most of the following list) Daily...
How Roundups Build Credibility
What does herding cattle have to do with writing? Surprisingly, more than you might expect. Both jobs require skill, stamina, and a willingness to get dusty and weary pursuing your goal. It also shows the value of rounding related things up into one place. That’s the...
Creating Unit Studies
A unit study is a great way for kids to learn about a topic that sparks their interest. It is also a great way for writers to share their work and use all that “extra” information your research uncovered that just wouldn’t fit into your final piece. Unit studies take...
Christmas in July: Planning Seasonal Products Early
It’s July 1st. I’m having trouble getting my head wrapped around that. It means half the year has passed. It means all those things I committed to doing in July (when it was still months away) are suddenly due now. And it means the Christmas holiday will be here...





































