My youngest daughter invited me to my very first Escape Room game the other day. As a mystery fan, I was excited—and a little apprehensive. Would I understand all the clues? Would I be asked things I had no concept of? Would I be able to complete the game in the time...
I have a major deadline due at the end of this month for a big project I’ve been working on. Part of me wants to panic. But I know that if I panic, I will become unproductive. I’ll spend more time worrying instead of writing. So here are a few tips on how to make...
Spring is well under way. There’s something about the change of season that inspires the need to start afresh and get life back in order. Maybe that comes with digging up an old flowerbed and planting an herb garden, or cleaning out the garage to have that rummage...
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,...
A writing job comes your way. The topic is something you like to write about, and the word count isn’t too bad. But there’s a lot of research involved, and the pay is lower than you’d like. Should you take it? Here are a few reasons why a low paying job may be...
As authors, we are expected to wear several hats: writer, researcher, investigator, interviewer, blogger, marketer, to name a few. Some of us are good at the writing and researching. But the other “hats,” especially marketing, can be challenging. Many publishers also...
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...
What happens if you are working on a nonfiction writing assignment that prefers primary sources and/or information within 100 years or so of the event? This isn’t your ordinary research project. This means you have to Dig Deep! Here are some tips to help in your...
You’ve worked hard on your manuscript. You found a publisher that you think may like your story, and you send it out with great expectation. You wait several months. You hear nothing back, which is not uncommon nowadays. Most publishing companies only respond if...
I’m sitting at my desk, preparing to work on a big writing project. I have my notes, and my laptop is ready for me to find some additional online information. But then I notice that the livestream I was listening to has fallen silent. Streaming issues? Hmm. Next, I...
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,...
Most of us have been writing for a while. Through the years we’ve worked on story and character development, struggled through plots, climaxes, and denouements, and even had some hard knocks trying to condense our manuscripts down to a decent word count that won’t...
Hello Friends! Guest blogger Big Bertha here with a second installment of Writing Wisdom. This month’s topic? The Importance of Being Broody. Broody by Definition Some people think to be broody means to sulk or to be in a mood. I guess, it could mean that, but to us...
Guest blogger, Big Bertha here, straight from the hen house with some tips to help further your writing career. Today’s topic? Setting up that perfect writing spot. Look for limited distractions I don’t know about you, but sharing a chicken coop with 22 hens and 2 up...
Life can get crazy sometimes. Obligations, unexpected circumstances, appointments, and just living life in general can keep our plates full. This craziness can definitely hinder our writing, especially if deadlines are looming. I suggest, it’s time to take a break! A...
It’s finally happened! You landed the writing assignment you’ve been waiting for. Now the stress is on. Not only do you want to produce a piece that is amazing and memorable (to be a good steward of the talent God has blessed you with and in case there is other work...
Do you have an Emergency Backup for your writing? I don’t mean a different avenue of life if a writing career doesn’t pan out. I’m talking about a backup for when something in your writing process goes haywire. For example, last week, my charging cord for my laptop...
Which came first? The chicken or the egg? As I am writing this post, I hear the faint “cheep, cheep” of a newly hatched chick—one of my son’s latest projects. So I can’t help but think about that old adage. Of course, as a Christian, I know the chicken came first...
Sometimes, no matter how many articles or stories you’ve written in the past, there comes a time when you don’t feel very inspired to write. You know you have to write something for a deadline, but you just don’t feel in the write mood (pun intended) to put pen to...
Summer is gone. Fall is in full swing. Winter will soon be on our doorsteps. So now is the perfect time to practice some seasonal sensory exercises to stir your writing imagination. Exercise #1: Sight Fall is a wonder for the eyes. Look at the photo below. What do you...
When I was in elementary school, we were taught how to create an outline. I remember having to break things down using Roman Numerals, then capital letters, and so on. To be honest, I hated that type of work. What I thought were important facts and summations, my...
This past July I took a trip with my husband, our two daughters, and my mother to visit family in New Mexico. The drive was long (about 16 hours, including getting a nail out of our tire), but it was worth it to see relatives (on my mother’s side) who we haven’t seen...
A few months ago, I was asked by a church staff member if I would be willing to participate in an afternoon get-together sometime in the summer where I could share about being a writer. The person who asked me coordinates our church’s homeschool support group, so I...
Last time I wrote about writing a plot summary within a short period of time for a potential fiction story opportunity. The good news is, the publisher accepted my pitch! The bad news is, the publisher accepted my pitch! Of course, this isn’t really bad news. It’s...
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...
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 was born with flat feet, the kind that leaves rectangular blobs instead of footprints in the sand. As a young child I had to wear special shoes with an orthopedic pad inside to help my arch. And, I remember that my feet would get so painful that my mother would have...
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...
Although I have been published for over twenty years now, my background is actually in film. I have a bachelor’s degree in Cinema, where my emphasis was cinematography. Of course, God had other plans for my life than that of a budding filmmaker. Nevertheless, I...
God created the world in six days. Each day was a step-by-step building up of an environment that would be suitable for humans. As writers, we are creators, too. We create whole worlds out of the imaginations and experiences in our heads. Let’s look at how the days of...
Do you ever give yourself a break from writing? I’m not talking about a hiatus where you take a long period of time away from your laptop or pad of paper and pen. I’m referring to a little transition break from one project to the next. Here’s what I mean. I just...
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...
Writing prompts are used by students and writers alike to challenge their creativity and/or to improve writing skills. They can be presented in a variety of ways – phrases, questions, topics – the sky’s the limit. Their purpose is to present you with an idea or...
No writer likes rejection, especially when you open your email and get excited to see a notice from a promising publisher, only to find something like this: “Sorry, but this doesn’t fit our current needs.” Here are a few ideas on how best to handle rejection letters....
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...
I loved field trips when I was in elementary and high school. Sure, sitting for a stretch of time in a stinky school bus wasn’t the best, especially when you hit those winding roads, but I loved the chance to get out of the classroom and actually see what we were...
There is something about reading out loud that helps one to better understand a story. As authors, we work hard to use our words to bring our ideas to life. But sometimes it’s difficult when you’re starting out to develop that unique voice that will make a story...
Recently, I was invited to Smiley Elementary School in Redlands, California to give two author presentations for Read Across America week. The groups were to be divided into Kindergarten to 2nd grade and 3rd to 5th grade. The original understanding was to present my...
One question I am often asked when I give talks on writing is, “Where do you get your ideas?” Ideas for writing come from a plethora of areas: through prayer (my number one resource), from situations I’ve experienced, from things I’ve read or heard about, through...