An Inside Look at the Pelican Book Group
I first read about the Pelican Book Group on Kathy Temean’s excellent blog, Writing and Illustrating. I looked them up online and found this description: “Our primary ministry is to publish quality fiction that reflects the salvation and love offered by Jesus Christ. Our titles adhere to mainline Christianity, but are enjoyed by Christians and […]
7 Ways to Write More Effectively for Ministry on the Web
Please welcome Deanna Kustas, our guest blogger today. How many times have heard the saying, “It’s not just what you say, but how you say it”? Words matter. Writing a great story matters. But how you share a story will change depending on where you are telling it and who you are telling it to. […]
An Inside Look Into A Freelance Editor’s Work
Check out these bookshelves! These are just some of the books which Write2Ignite team member, Brenda Covert, has edited. (She edited all of the books on the second shelf and about half on the top shelf.) Brenda took time out of her busy writing, editing, and grandparenting schedule to answer some questions about what she […]
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 rules after the questions to enter! How […]
Writing, Service, and Witness
Biblical witness is relational and demonstrable. John’s gospel (1:6 -7) states that John the Baptist was “sent from God . . . to bear witness of the Light [Jesus], that all through him might believe.” Verses 14-18 name Jesus Christ the primary witness [the “Word became flesh”] who “declared” God, bringing access to “grace and […]
The Power of the Parable
Ryan Hendrick’s guest post introduces the Bible’s use of parable and its impact. He follows this discussion with his original example. A parable intrigues me because its brevity often conceals its power until it blindsides its audience. In this sense, parable is as unexpected as the boy who slays a giant with a stone […]
10 Questions about the fantasy genre and YA literature:
While not every publisher accepts fantasy manuscripts, strong interest in this genre exists among children, teens, and young adults well beyond college age. This interview is the first in a series to explore fantasy’s appeal to younger readers, and to look at connections between this genre and Christian faith. Q: Before we start, how do […]
How To Find an Agent: Six Questions for Picture Book Writers
As an aspiring picture book author, I had high hopes for breaking into children’s publishing. I worked on my craft, joined a critique group, revised and polished my picture book manuscripts, then sent them off to publishers, hoping my dream would soon be reality. That’s when I encountered two seemingly impossible hurdles: the slush pile and, worse […]
Part III of “How to Lose an Editor in 10 Ways” COMPLICATE YOUR CONTENT
We’ve been talking about some of the top 10 ways to lose an editor, based on interviews I conducted with editors at four Christian children’s publications. (Part I: SKIP THIS STEP, Part II: HOW TO MESS UP YOUR CHARACTERS) In this section we are going to cover four more ways to lose an editor through […]
Part I of “How To Lose An Editor in Ten Ways” SKIP THIS STEP
The first (and possibly the most important) step to writing for publication is to read the writers guidelines and a few of the organization’s publications to get an idea of what they publish. So, if you are looking to lose an editor immediately, simply skip this step. Three out of the four editors I interviewed […]