Wonderful writing resources are easily available to us. We can access rhyming, spelling, and foreign language dictionaries. We can look up synonyms in a thesaurus, and find the perfect line to quote in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. If you need to write a screenplay,...
“Truce?” I turn to my sister first, but she’s already turned on me. “I’m out of ammo,” I’m barely able to squeal before she aims and fires. The bullet whizzes past me, hitting our dad in the shoulder. “Who was that?” he demands. I gesture at my uncle. Though his...
Are you a beginning writer or have you been working on your craft for a bit? Are you trying to develop a story, but it seems to be falling flat and you can’t figure out why? Maybe you need conflict. Here’s why. Conflict Drives the Plot Most of us don’t like conflict,...
It’s that time again… It’s a new year! A new you! For only $19.99 per day, you can have the ____ of your dreams! It’s a new year, so what are your goals? Be sure to write down everything you’ve ever wanted to achieve and make it a goal in January!! Obviously, I jest,...
How can we prioritize fellowship with the Lord and with other believers in the new year? Join in a discussion of Hebrews 10 to find out.
Recently, I was asked if I wanted to pitch a plot summary to a publisher for a potential fiction story for hi/lo readers. I had already written a short nonfiction book for them, but I wanted the chance to work on a fiction book, so I said I would be interested. The...
As Christian writers, how do we go about creating characters who produce good fruit: both in their stories and in our audience?
Let’s face it. We live in a society where we spend a lot of time waiting. Whether you are at the dentist or doctor, visiting the department of motor vehicles, or getting new tires on the car, we often find ourselves sitting around waiting to be called or waiting for...
I’m sure you have seen one or two old movies or TV shows where someone takes a blank piece of paper, feeds it into the roller of an old fashioned manual typewriter, and begins to peck out a story with gusto (His Girl Friday and Murder, She Wrote immediately come to...
We’ve had some unusual weather here in Southern California. We’ve had days of rain. And not just rain, continuous rain. That was what was the most unusual. I had some writing deadlines, but being cooped up at home wasn’t helping me whatsoever. I needed a different...
Writing is a solitary activity. Crafting words on the page can be a painstaking process, and one that requires a huge time and energy commitment. Anyone besides me sometimes wonder if all the effort matters? Recently God encouraged me with this verse in Hebrews...
I just returned from a trip to Colorado to visit my niece. One of the highlights of the trip was taking the Royal Gorge Route train ride based in Cañon City. Because this trip had been planned in advance, I decided to make it a writing exercise. I wanted to be...
The craft of writing isn’t easy. Sure, we may get that moment of inspiration where the words just flow out of our head and heart and down onto the page, but overall it requires much work and a lot of time to develop a story from beginning to end. And then it sometimes...
Writers need rest to maintain their creativity
When a Vacation Inspires Worship and Trust I recently went on a vacation to Zion National Park. A massive display of the artistic ability of our Creator, the impressive grandeur and beauty of the canyon views are hard to match anywhere on earth. Our family had the...
Writers often need rest in areas other than just sleep in order to maintain their creativity.
Did you know that July 8 was Psalm 78 Day? I didn't. Here's What I Discovered: Debbie DeCiantis sent the Write2Ignite team a notice about this special day and we decided to share it with all of you. The following information is from the Truth78 website. "What a...
Do you have trouble waiting? It’s a normal part of life, particularly when you have to wait on or for others. And although waiting isn’t easy, it can be rewarding for your writing, especially when you know that writing is your calling from the Lord. Here are some...
As a writer, there is a time to write and there is a time to set the keyboard aside and give your brain some space. For me when this happens, I go on walks. I used to enjoy running, but two foot surgeries have converted me into a walking enthusiast. I normally put on...
Just one month into Pre-K3, my daughter Maya amazed me with all the things she was learning. I could tell exactly what her teacher said in the classroom because Maya put it into practice immediately, although not by changing her behavior or applying it to herself....
In which one author briefly examens one AI platform named ChatGPT, which is a chatbox on steroids. If you haven't heard about it, read an overview here. (There's a link where you can sign up. When I signed up, I felt as if I were taking the mark of the beast. It seems...
Biblical Hope If there’s one thing in short supply these days, it’s hope. Politicians promise, but fail to deliver on their promises. Family members make commitments, but disappoint us. Jobs are scarce, money is tight, and the more we wish for positive change, the...
Is it possible to miss God’s answers to prayer? I often fail to recognize the relationship between God’s providence and answers to prayer. As a result, I miss opportunities to give God glory for His work. I also miss opportunities to encourage others by sharing...
Lowly dandelions give us moments of beauty that point to God
It’s to your advantage to become a contributing writer to a high-profile children’s magazine. Why get a magazine job? It provides steady work and a fairly reliable stream of income. Your resume will sparkle with numerous big-time credits. Plus, magazines reach tens of...
The skill of sighting helps weave all drawing skills together to make a unified whole.
Do you remember reading about the prayer of Jabez? Have you considered how it might apply to writers?
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay All around the internet, at writer’s conferences, and in any gathering of literary minded folks, you’ll find writers of all genre and for all ages asking this question: “Is it important to write every day?” As this year comes to a...
What Gift Can Writers Bring for the Newborn King? Music is an important part of celebrating Christmas. Remember the Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy”? It’s about a little boy who wonders what gift he could give to the baby Jesus. Or how about “We Three Kings,”...
It’s easy to be thankful for an agent’s representation or signing with a publishing house. But as we consider the ABCs of thankfulness in our writing life, let’s be more creative than that!
I’ve written more than thirty adventure books. And I still find that building tension in each scene is as difficult as losing weight. You think you have a “formula” and then BOOM! boringness creeps in, saturating your book in bloated prose. Credit: Photo by James...
Are you feeling “buried” or “planted” when it comes to your writing journey?
What difference does it make?
Everyone struggles at some point to distinguish fact from fiction. When you’re a young book-and-movie lover, distinguishing between fact and fiction is a challenge. I didn’t fully understand that movies aren’t real until I was about ten. For years, my brother tried to...
Dandelion Wishes vs. Prayer Dandelions—the bane of many homeowners who strive for manicured lawns. Adults see them as an irritation. A nuisance. But children see dandelions as a source of unlimited potential. Wishes, hopes, and dreams wrapped up in the seeds of a wild...
A lesson about faith
Practice a Pause Summer. A time to reconnect with family and friends. Staycations. Vacations. Day trips. Breaks are not a luxury. We need them to recharge physically and emotionally. Even athletes understand the value of training breaks to cultivate prolonged...
Have you ever dreamed of attending a writer’s retreat? Mingling with other creatives and soaking in all kinds of writerly wisdom from seasoned professionals? image from: https://thewritelife.com/writing-retreats/ Or, can you imagine having a...
Marketing Doesn’t Have to be a Hard Sell I’m sure I’m not the only person to see subject lines like these in my email inbox: Check this out! Sale! New discounts! New Prices! Get it now! Order now! I didn’t ask for them. I don’t want them. Still, they show up,...
Don’t be ignorant of the times, understand how to wait actively for God!
Scripture references: Psalm 3:3-4, Psalm 56:9-11, Psalm 57:7-9 In my previous post on a Christian writer's perspective about prayer, I mentioned the importance of waiting on God with expectant faith. Today, I'll elaborate on what the circumstances were when David...
Ready to celebrate National Poetry Month? Here are a few prompts to get you excited about writing poetry in April.
Our nation (America) and the whole world really is in a mess right now. But is this giant mess unique to our generation of Christians? What should be our response to a world gone mad? In 2 Timothy 4: 2 Paul instructs (or commands) us to preach the Word, to always be...
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...
Have you chosen a word for 2021? A word to guide you into this new year?
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
”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!...
“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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
A pastor-friend once preached a message on how to leave a legacy. Legacies were on his mind because he had been recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had been thinking a lot about his own legacy, which in turn motivated me to think about mine. I wasn’t sure I...
It’s 2020! Never has it been so clear that we are living in a completely different world with a completely different set of rules. Each generation is reared up with other influences, more distractions, and a whole new set of problems. Since we have accepted the call...
The high seas of the writing industry are tumultuous at best with raging competition and a strong current of marketing demands. Within the last few years, one of these waves has taken the Christian fiction market to a low. As a result, publishing houses are...
Do you know who Colonel Harland David Sanders was? I’ll give you a few hints…white suit, string tie, white goatee, southern charm, and the originator of a secret blend of eleven herbs and spices. Ah, you’ve got it now—the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, now...
As storytellers, we love to share what we’re passionate about, what concerns us, what plays out in our imaginations, and how they all come together in the real world. Many of us can’t help but include our love for Christ and our desire to bring His truth to the ones...
The Write2Ignite conference is over and you’re sitting in front of your computer facing a blank screen. Here are some writing quotes to help you reconnect with your passion and creativity! “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it...
Write2Ignite 2019 is history, but now your work begins! We hope you're primed and ready to tackle a new project or pull out an old one that needs editing and polishing. No matter how well we write, we all need someone with an objective perspective to critique our...
Ever since Carol Baldwin was little and her father read her Winnie the Pooh, she has loved stories. The only thing that she likes better than writing a story, is teaching teens how to shape the stories secreted in their imaginations. Do you have a teenager who is a...
Here's a sneak peek at one of our conference keynotes with a description in her own words. We'll be posting a teaser page each Monday. Visit: https://write2ignite.com/registration-2019/ Nancy Lohr - "TRUTH-FULL Writing" In a world where truth is fluid and...
I was excited when my first book, Daily Reflections on the Names of God, was published several years ago. But my delight at the release of this project was tempered by the need to market it through a website, blog posts, newsletters, Facebook author page, Twitter,...
Platform. We hear it so often we want to scream, “Enough, already!” Yes, we know we need a growing platform. It’s why we spend hours on social media, trying to grow our lists of friends on Facebook, followers on Twitter and Instagram. And it’s why we wrack our brain...
Please welcome Guest Blogger Courtney Madeira as she shares her journey into creating The Great Greenvillage. Before The Great Greenvillage [spacer height="20px"] Everything in my life has been about devising a thorough plan and then systematically following that plan...
Have you recently experienced frustration? Plans didn’t go your way? Maybe that meeting with your dream agent didn’t go well. Or the pub committee declined your project, despite enthusiastic championing by the acquisitions editor. Maybe you planned a full day of...
Diane has always had a desire and a knack for impacting the lives of young children in the hopes of leading them to faith that embraces God and His son, Jesus. Whether that "calling" in life took the form of teaching preschoolers, being a church staff minister for...
Last September, I made the drive to South Carolina full of anticipation. My first writers conference! Dreams swirled in my head. I would meet other writers…talk about books and characters...maybe catch the attention of a publisher…talk about writing and books some...
If you’re like me, you probably have bookshelves crammed with books. Too many to keep and too precious to give away. As I look through my bookcases, I enjoy finding a long-forgotten treasure. Even better, on occasion I’ll make a new discovery—a book that made it onto...
Who are you? How do you identify yourself? We might identify ourselves by name, family, where we live, what we do, our physical attributes…and that’s just the beginning. Does this list describe who we really are? The world defines being special in terms of physical...
A new year is upon us. Chatter of resolutions and goals echo in conversation, sermons, and on social media. Have you chimed in? Have you made your list? Posted your plans? Does the thought of 2019 and the clean slate before you cause you to feel pumped…or in a slump?...
The 2018 Write2Ignite conference is coming up fast! Are you still on the fence about attending? Here are some testimonials about Write2Ignite from previous attendees. “I Love Write2Ignite”: Author Terri B. Kelly Author Terri B. Kelly thinks that "everyone" should...
This week's contest is open to everyone! To prepare for our 2018 Pilgrim's Progress theme, find a little-known John Bunyan-related link (not a link from Wikipedia), and share it with us in the comments. Submit your answer before July 28 by commenting on this post,...
U PDATE: Congratulations to Hailey Hudson, the winner of our Week 8 contest! This week’s contest is open to everyone! Check out our list of presenters for W2I 2018. Then list the names of the two presenters you'd most like to meet. Submit your answer before July 21 by...
How can I capture in words what last year’s Write2Ignite conference meant to me? Attending my first-ever writers' conference left me feeling (and probably looking) like a deer in headlights! I left with an overwhelming conviction of the need for Christian writers and...
UPDATE: Congratulations to K. G. Wyrick, the winner of our Week 7 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone! When it comes to writing, what genre do you most often write in? Who's your favorite author in that genre? Submit your answer before July 14 by...
U PDATE: Congratulations to Kristi Butler, the winner of our Week 6 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone! Did you know that a CGI animated film of Pilgrim's Progress is set for release in spring of 2019? How interested would you be in seeing this new...
U PDATE: Congratulations to Maria Faust Bostian, the winner of our Week 4 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone! All you have to do is answer this question: what has been your most memorable experience at a Write2Ignite conference? If you haven't attended a...
UPDATE: Congratulations to David Friedli, the winner of our Week 3 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone! Did you know we offer critiques of up to 10 pages of your manuscript? What would you be most interested in learning from a critique? Submit your answer...
UPDATE: Congratulations to Amy Bradsher, the winner of our Week 2 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone! Tell us your favorite author and book for a chance to win a free book! Submit your answer before June 9 by commenting on this post, sending a comment...
Nobody likes to be rejected. And when we’ve poured ourselves into a writing project, only to see it rejected by agents and editors, it’s easy to take that rejection personally. "My manuscript isn’t good enough." "My writing skills aren’t good enough." "I’m not good...
Last week, we suggested three ways to celebrate Short Story Month. Maybe (we hope!) you've started writing your own short stories. Great! Now what? This week, we’d like to help you find places to submit short stories. Contests Whether you’re just starting to write...
“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” ―Neil Gaiman May is here, and that means it’s National Short Story Month! Short...
We all want to be successful writers. But how do we define success? A recent search for the word “success” in the Amazon books category yielded 266,470 results. At the click of a button, more than a quarter of a million books available today on how to become...
Have you made personal new year’s resolutions for this year? If you did, now that we’re two weeks into 2018, how many resolutions have you kept? Have you set any new year’s resolutions for your writing? It’s not too late. Here are a few resolutions for you to...
“The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.”---G. K. Chesterton When you see a mushroom in your yard, do you dismiss it? Or do you tap it with a stick to see it bounce? Do you think of fairies and smile? And when you see the little...
Hi, friends! It’s Cathy Biggerstaff, financial director for the 2018 Write2Ignite Conference. Numbers and dollar signs dance in my head. In today’s economy, I'm always looking for ways to generate funds. This month, I'm concentrating on your side of the equation! Here...
The writing life can be unpredictable. Times of joy interspersed with times of discouragement. Mountains and valleys. Successes and failures. Problem is, all too often, the discouragement and failures seem to outnumber the joys and mountaintop experiences. So what do...
Last month, we talked about the importance of identifying and removing clichés from our writing. This month, let’s tackle Christianese. What is Christianese? Christianese phrases are Christian clichés. They form an insider language that is often overused, misused, and...
It’s been said writers include a bit of themselves in everything they write. If that’s true, how much of your personality appears on the pages of what you write? Teaching on temperament or personality differences has been around for more than 2,000 years. Hippocrates...
Do you know the answer to this old riddle? Q: Which weighs more: a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers? A: Neither. They both weigh the same. Silly, I know. But I’ve been thinking a lot about weight lately. And no, this has nothing to do with the pants I no...
I love a good story, don’t you? Skilled storytellers have beguiled audiences with mesmerizing tales since the dawn of time. I have vivid memories of waiting breathlessly for stories that began with the words, “Once upon a time.…” I’m still transported by the power of...
Marketing a book can be overwhelming! Planning social media posts, website updates, blog posts, mail campaigns, book signings, and speaking engagements can cause an author's head to spin. And then there's that next book to write. And all these tasks occur at the same...