April 2026 Master Class
Registration is Now Open
Introducing... Fantasy has the power to change someone. When C.S. Lewis read Phantastes by George MacDonald, he said it “baptized his imagination.” For Emily Golus, Vindor helped her with her anxiety. Now, the mother of two has three books set in the land of Vindor,...
When her mother retired and started a raspberry farm, Donna Thornton found her hundred-acre wood. Starting with a baby donkey named Druplet, Donna wrote a picture book as a gift for her mother. This led to a publishing contract, another picture book, and another.
Join us for a discussion of Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien and the joy of storytelling.
Today I’ll cover several writing nuggets DiAnn shares about the power of setting, story pacing, and developing a writer’s voice.
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...
The Write2Ignite team is excited about our next Master Class with Kim Peterson. It's less than a month away! In Case You Missed It Here is the schedule. Notice that Kim will lead three workshops (one is split in half); you'll have time to work on your hooks, queries,...
Join Karley Conklin for a discussion of 3 tips for growing strong and healthy writing habits, from James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits”.
This month I got to see my aunt and my dad. My role was as caregiver. She’s eighty-seven. He’s ninety five. I learned one thing: I can’t write around seniors who blare the TV at level 42. Plus, every time one of them walked into a room, I stared at the throw rugs and...
Stories grow from key elements: Setting, character, inciting incident, rising action, climax, surprise, conclusion.
As children’s writers, we all know the importance of choosing the right word to use. Shakespeare has a famous quote “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” That philosophy might work in Romeo and Juliet’s situation but not...
I love using my computer for my research. With a click of a mouse, ancient tomes and primary sources open before my eyes. And a working outline is a breeze. Copy. Paste. Search. Find. For one of my nonfiction projects my outline is over 200 pages long and still...
I have written a devotional blog for several years but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn a thing or two or maybe three about writing devotionals. Karen Whiting’s class had three sessions and each one was packed with information that we put into practice during the...
Strengthen your writing voice with 10 Journal Prompts for Writers.
Image by Annie Spratt from Pixabay When you sit down to write, what metaphor do you visualize? In my earliest years as a writer, I attended a writing conference. One of the speakers shared a metaphor that hit me hard. “There is nothing to writing,” he said. “All you...
Terri B. Kelly encourages Christian writers on how to write devotionals that children will understand.
Ever feel as if your writing is a waste of time? That the entire universe is laughing at your paltry literary efforts? That’s one of my biggest fears, and it’s founded on reality. I wrote three unsuccessful children’s book series for David C. Cook in the 1990s. And by...
Along with the devotions, there are Family Beatitudes: biblical blessings for happy families, Chat Prompts: conversations starters, Wrap Up: discussion ideas…and more! Writing devotions for children has an exciting caveat: we get to write lots of fun stuff to go along...
Award-winning nonfiction author, Annette Whipple, discusses writing inspirtaiton.
Does the idea of attending a writing critique group make you nervous? You’re not alone! Check out a few tips for calming those critique jitters.
While I was self-editing my first children’s novel in 1989 (gasp, yes, I hung out with Methuselah et al.), I consulted a great little book called Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to edit yourself into print. The wise authors, David King and Renni Browne, helped...
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...
Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixaba As any brave explorer would do before embarking on a journey, it’s important for us as children’s writers to choose a reliable flashlight to help us find our way.For writers, our flashlight is a mentor text. What exactly is a...
Meet our new planning team member, Nancy I. Sanders
A writer can never have enough craft books—true or false? True, of course! In that case, I have two for you. The first, Blueprint for a Book is written by Jennie Nash, and the second is The Conflict Thesaurus. Both stellar in helping you flesh out plot and characters.
Tessa Emily Hall, Write2Ignite’s YA Master Class instructor, provides hope for Christians writing in this genre.
Christian Themes in YA books.
Compiled by Jean Matthew Hall If you would like to read up on writing for young adults before our September 18, 2021 Master Class with Tessa Emily Hall here are a few helpful website. Some contain quick tips. Some go into much more depth. They are handy resources for...
Wanting to support a Christian journalist who openly owns her faith, I pre-ordered a copy of Shannon Bream’s new book, The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today (HarperCollins, 2021), but I confess my expectations were...
“She said you could graduate!” My mother’s news shocked me. I could graduate high school a year early? I don’t even remember saying “yes.” God was directing my path in a different direction than I anticipated, and I could not get in His way. I never envisioned myself...
Tips on mining your life.
Ready to celebrate National Poetry Month? Here are a few prompts to get you excited about writing poetry in April.
Here’s a glimpse into Laura Sassi’s Picture Book Master Class is next month.
Comp titles are an opportunity to highlight the best elements of our stories. But where do we find titles that will pack a punch?
Have you chosen a word for 2021? A word to guide you into this new year?
A Review by Jean Matthew Hall of STEERING THE CRAFT: A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GUIDE TO SAILING THE SEA OF STORY by Ursula K. LeGuin Dear Writers, If the beauty of language thrills you; If you love weaving words, sounds and silences as they move readers through a story;...
Are you looking forward to a New Year with no mistake (to paraphrase Anne of Green Gables)? Have you been searching for another way to keep track of all your writerly progress? Enter THE BULLET JOURNAL!! It's a unique method for organizing your life - no matter what...
Flipped for the Flip Dictionary! Writers use a wide variety of resources. You probably own a dictionary (or two!) and a thesaurus. Perhaps you have a market guide such as the Christian Writer’s Market Guide on your bookshelf. You may use The Chicago Manual of...
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...
"Too few [writers] are open to the possibility that the business side calls for as much imagination as the artistic process itself . . . An open attitude toward business can provide focus, discipline, and, sometimes most importantly, self-awareness about what you want...
"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...
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...
As I've transitioned from news writing to fiction writing over the past few years, I've learned that writing dialogue is much different than recording quotes. I can't tell you how many hours I spent transcribing interviews during my undergraduate degree in journalism....
TIP #5 Use context to recognize, understand, and interpret literal and metaphorical language. Historical, social, cultural, and biblical contexts are essential for understanding literal and metaphorical elements in speech and writing. Accurate understanding should...
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...
Our logo truly became a reality to me last Saturday as I attended the online Fiction Master Class taught by the gifted Joyce Moyer Hostetter. Not only has she written a popular MG Historical fiction series, but she is able to impart her knowledge of writing to her...
When I first heard about the Baker Mountain series by Joyce Moyer Hostetter, Drive, the fourth book in the series, sounded the most interesting. Drive occurs several years after the previous novel, Comfort, and follows the story of Ida and Ellie Honeycutt, Ann Fay’s...
Whenever I come up with an idea, I immediately start planning my next novel. With my latest project however, I have learned to practice the art of shorter stories, or in my case, parables. A parable is “a simple story used to illustrate a moral or religious lesson.”...
"Remember that 'author' is always a temporary job description . . . Your permanent job description is 'writer' and that's what you are even when no one else is looking." --Author Kristoper Jansma (quoted in Before and After the Book Deal, pp. 333) Today's publishing...
Write2Ignite’s Writing Fiction Master Class is coming up Sept. 19! In just two weeks, author Joyce Moyer Hostetter will be presenting three sessions to help attendees learn more about fiction writing. Plus, the Write2Ignite team will be leading three workshops to help...
TIP #3 Don’t avoid tough literal situations by referring to them only as metaphors. Taking literal language metaphorically is equally problematic. Kids can be masters of metaphor. Ask “Didn’t I tell you not to play in the mud?” and they...
On one of my blog posts, where I shared a "Flash Fiction" piece, a commenter had mentioned that I had "a voice". I can't tell you how thrilled I was with that revelation! I kept saying to myself, over and over: "I have a voice! I have a voice!" as if I had received...
TIP #2 Don’t interpret literally what is supposed to be understood metaphorically. Taking figurative language literally is a problem that leads to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Does the photo above depict sunshine or shadow? A literal book title based...
"The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer."--Zadie Smith Write2Ignite's 2020 Master class with Joyce Moyer Hostetter is only a month away. The Write2Ignite team has suggested checking out several chapters of...
According to Elaine Marie Alphin ( Creating Characters Kids Will Love p. 2) “Kids read because a magical closeness springs up between them and the characters in books and stories—the same magical closeness I felt as a child. They read because a writer has brought a...
Tip #1: Use clear definitions and illustrations to distinguish literal from metaphorical. For writers and readers alike, understanding the terms literal and figurative (metaphorical) is essential: what do they actually mean? And how can we distinguish the way language...
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...
Writing dialogue is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. If done well, using dialogue can strengthen your manuscript and turn an average story into an engaging ride people will be talking about long after they read it. Here are 3 examples of how your story...
“When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.” -Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft You've probably never thought to ask for editing tips from a...
Some stories — even if written during a different time — are applicable to every generation of teens because they help with interpreting culture. First published in 1967, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, has inspired readers for more than 50 years. Hinton, just...
I was excited to follow Junior Bledsoe’s journey in the second novel in the Baker Mountain series, Blue. Junior does not have as large a role in this novel as he does in the series’ previous novel, Aim, but his character is crucial because he helps his friend and...
Paris is one of my favorite cities. Its history and ambiance intrigue me. There is something about strolling down the streets of Paris, crossing the bridges, or walking along the Seine, even in the rain, that can't be experienced anywhere else in the world. It...
I have been interested in reading the Bakers Mountain series by Joyce Moyer Hostetter since I first heard about it at Write2Ignite 2018. When I was offered this opportunity to review all four books in the series, I gladly accepted. I am beginning my reviews with Aim,...
This information is for writers of fiction seeking an agent. If you hope to have your book published by a traditional publishing house (Christian or general market) you will very possibly need an agent. Have you been thinking about searching for one? The task is...
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...
“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...
The English language has many interesting components to work with, and one of my favorite ways to add personality to my writing is through punctuation! In grade school, you learned about the different end marks: periods, exclamation marks, and question marks. You...
"I ask again, 'What are your Writing Goals?' Now sit down and write them out and put them where you can see them every day," (Lynette Hall Hampton, Writer to Writer, pp. 9) In the sum of the writing resources I've read, the importance of setting writing goals is a...
Do you hear the people sing? Well, no. But I do hear fears expressed and complaints a-plenty! There was trouble during the French Revolution, and there is trouble today in the form of a virus -- the coronavirus. Although many are in dread of the contagious enemy, we...
Last week our teen reviewer, Kathryn Cover, reviewed Penny Reeve's book, CAMP MAX. This week, we welcome Penny back to our blog for an inside look at being a Christian children's writer in Australia. I am a Christian children’s and YA author living and writing in...
How can a social-distancing writer focus on 1) writing progress and 2) spiritual wellbeing? If you’re getting plenty of alone time, writing should be easy, right? But you’re still living in unfamiliar circumstances, perhaps removed from routines or places that inspire...
If you are gung ho on getting a book published, be it your first or 20th, one essential component you’ll need is a book proposal. Whether you’re in the brainstorming process or just about to type “the end,” I suggest that writing the proposal sooner rather than...
This week has been a turning point for the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Many governors have enacted stay-at-home-orders, New York is erecting temporary field hospitals, and American manufacturers have pledged to build ventilators and protective...
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...
Last week, I was sitting around a conference table with an enthusiastic group of writers. They passed out their copies and we all took turns offering gentle but constructive feedback. Before I go on, consider joining a critique group; it’s key if you want your...
One of the most difficult parts of any writing project is keeping your ideas, writings, and sources organized. Here a few tips and resources to help you organize your next project. Outlines Forget about the Roman-numeral-heavy outlines from grade school and think in...
"A picture book illustrator needs to tell a story with pictures. A picture book author needs to show the same story with words." -Jean Matthew Hall When I attended last year's Write2Ignite conference, I went to Jean Matthew Hall's discussion, What...
Our family had the opportunity in December to watch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks, who, by the way, did a fabulous job portraying Mr. Rogers. It would not surprise me if he won an Oscar. It helped me understand the heart behind the man...
This past year has been a special one for the books (pun intended) because I published my first book! As you know, the process is anything but quick, but you can bet that the experience has been rich with lessons that will carry on into my future projects. My...
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. Luke 12:27 I have always loved this passage, perhaps because among the many challenging instructions in scripture, this...
"This book is for you--the person who wants to be published or grow in your writing craft . . . My desire is for your writing to thrive and move into a higher gear after you read these pages." (W. Terry Whalin, pp. 20) Writing for publication is a skill that must be...
This past year was a difficult one for me. Due to our financial situation, we have not been able to travel, which has always been my go-to for inspiration. A new destination has the ability to shake up my brain cells and send them in a new direction, but this...
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...
“Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery - it's the sincerest form of learning.” ― George Bernard Shaw As writers, we tend to strive for originality. We don't want our work to be a copy of someone else's; we want to write words that are unique. But what...
In an effort to grow my copywriting skills, I took Ian Lurie’s LinkedIn Learning course “ Learning to Write Marketing Copy .” He broke copywriting down into four easy steps: create a plan, free write, write your first draft, and polish your writing. While the course...
Have you ever stood at the edge of a road, holding the hand of a small child, getting ready to cross the road safely? You glance up the street. You look back down the other way. You take notice of the cars and the traffic lights and when all is clear and safe and your...
Ultimately, to have a productive writing session, you need to have self-control. I can give you all the best tips in the world, but unless you have zero self-control, it won't help. Here's my tip: open your document and write. And don't stop. Need something more...
When you write Christian literature for children ignition is the goal. Writing literature that will ignite a child's imagination, a zeal for learning, a love of reading, and a reverence for God is the mission. More than that, it's a ministry. And engaging, well...
Do you know a teen or tween who dreams of writing a book? Or, perhaps your spouse or best friend is a budding poet. Either way, Write2Ignite has the perfect gift opportunity! Starting in January, team members Brenda Covert and Carol Baldwin will be giving writing...
In an effort to grow my copywriting skills, I took Ian Lurie’s LinkedIn Learning course “ Learning to Write Marketing Copy .” He broke copywriting down into four easy steps: create a plan, free write, write your first draft, and polish your writing. While the course...
If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you. Maybe it's not quite that easy, but if you want to learn something, go to the source. -- Natalie Goldberg Hello everyone, My name is Karley Conklin, and I’m a new blogger for Write2Ignite. I've...
Although my husband and I live in an almost-empty-nest, sometimes I catch myself reminiscing. Our homeschool history course many years ago includes a mini-unit on Shakespeare and his works. We'd listened to an excellent 3 part DVD series by Schlessinger Media called,...
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...
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...
My first attendance at a W2I Conference was in March of 2017. I landed a scholarship which helped me enjoy the whole weekend. I brought a notebook of questions that God answered in every workshop I attended. I still have that notebook with notes. Reflecting on...
In an effort to grow my copywriting skills, I took Ian Lurie’s LinkedIn Learning course “ Learning to Write Marketing Copy .” He broke copywriting down into four easy steps: create a plan, free write, write your first draft, and polish your writing. While the course...
So you think you can sit alone in your room or your local coffee shop and hammer out a book on your laptop and call it done? Nope. You need a community of writers, and here’s why.[spacer height="20px"] Accountability Writing is hard. And because it’s hard, it’s easy...
I graduated in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and immediately transitioned into a career in marketing. I’m still learning the ropes of copywriting, but many of the principles I learned in journalism school apply to both copywriting and creative...
As a writer, I can get caught up in FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. Each time a new blog post or newsletter alerts me of a webinar I must attend, a book I should be reading, or a social media task I need to engage in, I get panicky. Which is the most important? What if I...
Writing a novel is like running a marathon. You have a HUGE goal and you prepare and persevere in order to complete the race. NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a "website, a community, a wildly ambitious writing event — and so much more!" And it happens...