Preparing for a Writers’ Conference
It’s writers’ conference season! The idea of attending a writing conference might be new and scary to you. It might be an annual event on your calendar, or you may be one of the seasoned professionals who presents at multiple conferences around the country each year. After many conferences, my heart races a bit at […]
The Power of Story
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 those words today. However, the power of story is not […]
God’s Best
Have you heard the story of the little girl and her pearls? There once was a little girl who went shopping with her mother and saw a strand of costume jewelry pearls. Oh, how she wanted those pearls! But her mother wouldn’t provide the money to buy them, so she saved her allowance and birthday […]
Is Your Creativity a Mirror or a Flashlight?
Is your creativity a mirror or a flashlight? Is it a thermometer or a thermostat? Does it reflect what’s in the heart already or change the surroundings? A mirror reflects what’s in front of it. The viewer sees what’s already there. A flashlight sheds light in darkness. The viewer gains new insight that’s useful in moving ahead. Here’s […]
Always a Learning Curve
There’s plenty of advice available about what to write and how to “speak” to children readers through story. But how do you get your stories out there to parents who buy a large percentage of children’s reading material after you publish those fantastic tales? You can Google information on how to use Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, […]
The Dreaded Elevator Pitch
When I worked as a Human Resources executive, one of my responsibilities was to offer outplacement training—a fancy term for helping people who lost their jobs find new employment. Outplacement training included creating a resume, polishing interview skills, and developing an elevator pitch. The elevator pitch is something writers need as well. A pitch is […]
Limitless Creativity
The creativity of God never ceases to amaze me. He created plants that grow underwater, He created diamonds and dandelion dust with equal ease, and He called a single woman with no children to write for the Christian homeschool market. I wasn’t homeschooled as a child. I went to a very small private Christian school. […]
Spotlight on Lisa Albinus
My name is Lisa Albinus. I get to live the dream of being an artist and author as I live my life with a Bible tucked under my arm and a paintbrush in my hand. My greatest desire is to breathe hope into the latent, creative dreams of your childhood and the crayons that have […]
The Child’s Voice in Writing
Engaging young readers is important for children’s authors, but in an effort to reach them, how do we understand our young readers? Maybe we are parents or grandparents. We might be teachers or caregivers. Maybe we just have a heart for littles. I think every children’s author would agree that effective writing for children requires […]
Stories Matter
“The universe is made of stories, not atoms.” —Muriel Rukeyser Once upon a time… … in a Galaxy Far, Far Away… … a young shepherd boy stood before the giant with only a sling. … a starship set out to boldly go where no man had gone before. … four reptiles stumbled upon green ooze […]