‘Atomic Habits’: 3 Tips for Growing Writing Habits that Last
Join Karley Conklin for a discussion of 3 tips for growing strong and healthy writing habits, from James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits”.
Six Realizations that Helped My Friend Write More
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 just […]
Stories Grow from Key Elements by Guest Blogger, Dawn Stephens
Stories grow from key elements: Setting, character, inciting incident, rising action, climax, surprise, conclusion.
THE WORDS WE CHOOSE TO USE
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 for ours. In a nonfiction book […]
Tracking Research the Old Fashioned Way
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 growing.
What did You Learn at the Devotionals Master Class? by Gail Cartee
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 breakout sessions. The first session helped me understand how to […]
10 Journal Prompts for Writers
Strengthen your writing voice with 10 Journal Prompts for Writers.
Motivating Metaphors
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 do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Often attributed to […]
Think Like a Child by Guest Blogger, Terri B. Kelly
Terri B. Kelly encourages Christian writers on how to write devotionals that children will understand.
On ‘Story Genius’ or . . . How to Avoid Wasting a Decade of Your Life
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 “unsuccessful” I mean the amount of […]