Introducing... Back in the day, NHL player Jacques Plante wrote letters to a kid in Canada, giving him tips on the game. That kid grew up to be Sue Irwin’s husband. When she learned about this collection of letters, Sue decided to write a book about hockey safety....
Are you looking for a few more craft secrets? Patricia Raybon has several to consider. Over ten years ago, I met Patricia Raybon at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I’ve followed her ever since. Recently, I attended a webinar presented by Writing for Your...
Introducing... They say never meet your heroes. But I made an exception. Bob Smiley has been making me laugh since I was a kid reading the Clubhouse Magazine. I’ve seen almost every standup special he’s made. But when I read Average Boy’s Above Average Year, I became...
Introducing... As a fourth-generation author, Daniel Blackaby knows a thing or two about legacy. His grandfather wrote the impactful book “Experiencing God.” Every Christmas break, Daniel re-reads the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Legacy and cultural impact are always on...
Waiting Well Years ago, I mentioned to a writer friend that I have trouble waiting well on God's timetable with my writing. It seems my plans and God’s plans are often out of sync. Even when I see evidence of God's favor on my writing, I wonder how I missed his...
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,...
As an author who writes for children, are you also a blogger with questions about what strategies you should incorporate into your blog? If so, in this post I gathered information from Celebration Web Design’s website to help answer some of those questions....
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.
So, there you have it. My nine writing lessons from my Grand Prix adventure. What helps you stay on track in this race we call writing?
The Write2Ignite Podcast: Ep. 9: Anna Raats Introducing... Since 2009, Anna Raats has worked for Ambassador International. From designing the interiors of books, to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of the publishing company, Anna knows a thing or two about...
Introducing... When Cindy Lynn Sawyer wrote The Wonder of Under, she stopped short of hiring an illustrator. After all, the cost of hiring someone to illustrate your picture book is the most expensive part of self-publishing a picture book. So you can imagine her...
Introducing... Jarm Del Boccio firmly believes in telling children stories that deal with trials and hardship. But never brutality. In her Middle Grade novel “The Heart Changer” she tells a story based on the Biblical account in 2nd Kings 5 of Naaman the Leper....
Introducing... When Brenda Covert took one of our Master Classes taught by Laura Sassi, she immediately had the idea for Meanwhile, Back at the Manger . A few years later, she finally has a picture book to call her own. A fun re-telling of the birth of Jesus,...
Introducing... When Lori Z. Scott won the Christy Award in the Young Adult category, she hadn’t prepared a speech. She never thought she would win, and she almost didn’t go to the ceremony. But this wasn’t unusual, because Lori Z. Scott never wanted to write Offsides...
Several years ago, I went to physical therapy. While I exercised, I was struck by the similarity I discovered between physical and writing.
For every general market book written by Carolyn Bennett Fraiser, there is a companion book in the educational market. Was this an accident, or God’s plan? In this episode, I sit down with Carolyn to discuss what the educational market is, and how to break into it....
If anyone was qualified to write stories for children, it would be Laura Sassi. She has worn many hats through the years: a mother, a homeschooler, a teacher, and a children’s ministry director. She also wore a special hat for our podcast episode! With over ten books...
As Christian writers, how do we promote our work with humility in a God-honoring way, without being pushy and in-your-face about it?
It’s an honest question. Obviously, if you are writing first person POV, then this does not apply to you. Of course your narrator should be a character. Otherwise, it ain’t first person! But what about third person? Should your narrator have a distinct personality?...
If we use the writing armor God gave us to write for God’s glory, whatever we write, will always be a good fit.
There are two kinds of children's books: the kind that grownups want children to read and the kind that children want to read. As adults, we may be tempted to write the first type of book. The kind that gets Newberry and Caldecott medals. The kind that ends up on...
We take the land of writing little by little. Just as the Israelites did when they entered the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt.
In my multimedia journalism class, our professor talked about “writing for the ear.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, writing for the ear is when you write something that is meant to be spoken or performed rather than read silently. My Shakespeare professor taught...
Sometimes, we might feel as if our writing efforts, and God’s favor on them, are stuck behind a cloud, hidden from view.
In Karen Ferguson’s newest picture book, Guess Who Is in God’s Family, Papa Joe once again opens God’s Word to satisfy Lucy’s curiosity about her family. Papa Joe explains God’s creation of the very first family, and that we all came from this first family in gentle,...
There is nothing more painful as a writer, than staring at the blank page, with your mind even blanker. Some people call this writer’s block, some people say writer’s block doesn’t even exist. But neither of these offers a solution. Today, I’ll offer mine: prewriting....
Last week started with the Super Bowl and ended with Valentine’s Day. This Super Bowl was the most watched one yet, and while Valentine’s Day is on a downward trajectory, it is still celebrated by more than half of Americans. This is good. As a country that can feel...
Last year I watched 52 movies, and read 48 books. But I didn’t like them all. Some movies I hated. Some books I rolled my eyes at, or finished with the thought of “Finally. Now, I can read something good!” As I finished the year reading A Christmas Carol, I was struck...
Axe Throwing Have you ever participated in axe throwing? I have. Multiple times, and I love it. There's even a World Axe Throwing League. Who knew? Hurling axes at a wooden target and scoring multiple bull’s eyes, what's not to love? Of course, there are just as many,...
It always bugged me that depictions of Christ’s birth show the wisemen there alongside the shepherds. It just isn’t very accurate. Matthew 2 says that “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem” (emphasis added). While I...
By the time you are reading this blog, I will officially be 30 years old. A lot has happened in the first three decades of my life. Some things haven’t happened as quickly as I wanted to. Others happened before I was ready. But’s that’s another blog for another time....
A Turkey for Thanksgiving, by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Diane de Groat, is the perfect picture book to read for Thanksgiving.
When did you know that your writing had become more than just a hobby? For me, it was when my mother said these words: “I think you should focus on making money with your writing.” It was after I had pitched her my idea of an AI-generated graphic novel about a recent...
Today I’ll cover several writing nuggets DiAnn shares about the power of setting, story pacing, and developing a writer’s voice.
I have a Spotify playlist called “In Case of Emergency, Hit Play.” These aren’t Christian songs for when my heart is in anguish. That’s a different playlist. No, this kind of emergency is strictly a writer’s problem. Whether it is writer’s block, or just a tight...
I’ve got about a dozen unfinished stories. When I look back to see why I gave up on the story (sometimes mid-sentence), I discovered most of them died out around chapter three. I was shocked. What was so hard about chapter three? Why would I give up so easily? As I...
It’s the final installment! If you have ever researched rules in storytelling, you may have come across the famous Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. This came from a 2011 tweet from a Pixar employee who realized there were 22 written (and unwritten) rules they...
If you have ever researched rules in storytelling, you may have come across the famous Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. This came from a 2011 tweet from a Pixar employee who realized there were 22 written (and unwritten) rules they implemented on every story....
I Dream a Dream for You by Bob Hostetler is a sweet board book of bedtime rhymes to read to little ones. This love-filled picture book of dreams and hopes can be shared with the toddlers and young children in your life. REVIEW Full of bold illustrations, I Dream a...
If you have ever researched rules in storytelling, you may have come across the famous Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. This came from a 2011 tweet from a Pixar employee who realized there were 22 written (and unwritten) rules they implemented on every story. While...
How can critique groups inspire us as writers? Last year, Kathy O’Neill’s blog post shared the importance of critique groups through highlighting Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings. I absorbed her article, grabbed...
Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 1st Peter 5:8 CSB I walked into the kitchen, and there, tied up and in a pot, just waiting to be boiled, was my family. Yoda...
Okay, you may have been hesitant with my article What Writers Can Learn from Walt Disney. You may have seen the Peanuts comic strip in a new light with What Writers Can Learn from Charles Schulz. But Dolly Parton? Surely, Kyle, you’re taking this thing too far! But...
By now, you’ve probably seen Linus tell Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about, seen Snoopy reunite with his brother Spike, and felt empathy for poor Rerun who is probably still stuck on that bike. For many, it’s tradition to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas...
Out of the 62 animated films from the Walt Disney Company, only 8 are original ideas, and 2 of those were propaganda films made during WWII to help strengthen our relationship with South America. Everything else was based on either a book, mythology, poems, folk...
The Two Lives of Ezekiel Van Cleef is the greatest novel ever written by AI. Why? Because I helped write it. While this sounds arrogant, I think any novel that has 10% of the writing done by a human is better than any novel written 100% by AI. In fact, productivity...
Last Saturday’s Write2Ignite Master Class on Writing Chapter Books was a big hit. We had the largest attendance we’ve had thus far, and our teacher Marianne Hering did a fabulous job! It is such a joy for me to gather with other Christian writers whether live or via...
“And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.” (Isaiah 34:7 KJV) If you ever come across this verse in the King James Bible, it might give you some pause....
Young woman broadcasting in a studio, close up When I was nine years old, my sister and I pulled out our dad's cassette player and recorded our first radio show. I wrote the script and songs and we practiced before performing. We had a blast (or at least, I did. Hard...
When I first decided I wanted to become a published author, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. If someone had told me the amount of steps it'd take, I might've run back to my room and stuck to being a college professor only for the rest of my life. But I...
Writing a novel with ChatGPT is exhausting. I should know, for I just spent the last few months doing so. But that’s for another blog post. Today, I want to talk about how people are using ChatGPT the wrong way. If you ask ChatGPT to write you a novel, it will likely...
There was a man who worked at a factory who made some stuff. Let’s be honest. If this was an opening line, you’d close the book, put it back on the shelf and ask, “How did THAT ever get published?” But what if I told you this line could be fixed by using one simple...
The Orb and the Airship, by Realm award-winning author Jenelle Leanne Schmidt, is an adventurous tale about a rogue airship captain, an ambitious youth, and a clash of powers beyond their imagination. The first in a series, The Orb and the Airship was released on June...
What do carpet beetles, Plato, and the diary of a politician from the 1600s all have in common? You can find all of them on the website Project Gutenberg for free. If you are unfamiliar with the website, buckle up—we are diving into the public domain! Read more: Use...
An English program can provide a structured environment for learning from experienced professors and receiving feedback on your work. However, an English program can be expensive, and the financial investment might not lead to financial gain. There are other paths to...
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9 HCSB).” As a writer, I find this passage extremely depressing. Not only does it rhyme like a pessimist's Dr. Seuss, but it also means no...
"Mommy, there's a biwd in awe house!" "A real bird?" "Mommy, come quick. Daddy lef the doow open. It's in awe liveen woom." I leapt out of bed and followed my five-year-old into the living room where a blue Western Scrub-Jay ruffled the window blinds and house...
Story ideas are a lot like babies: no one knows where they come from. If you’re a writer, you know a story idea can hit you when you least expect it. Just as you drift off to sleep, or reach for the shampoo in the shower, or even while someone is talking to you at a...
An ivory tower is often defined as a place where a person is cut off from the responsibilities of the world so they can pursue their own interests without interruption. Creative people may sometimes long for a perfect ivory tower where they can spend endless,...
Ways to Improve our Creative Space
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Write2Ignite is offering Hooks, Queries and Proposals: Angling to Land a Contract with Master Teacher Kim Peterson.
Michelangelo was a super star in his own day, but as a Christian, he knew his work had a higher purpose.
The skill of sighting helps weave all drawing skills together to make a unified whole.
Noticing spaces gives us new perspectives for our writing
Contour drawing slows us down and frees us up to explore details that breathe life into our story’s characters and settings.
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...
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...
Leading up to our YA Master Class on September 18, we published several blogs to help you write young adult books. In case you missed some of them, here they are. Dealing with hard topics in Christian YA fiction by Ellice Wong "As Christian writers who aim to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The high seas of the writing industry are tumultuous at best with raging competition and a strong current of marketing demands. Within the last few years, one of these waves has taken the Christian fiction market to a low. As a result, publishing houses are...
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...
Here's a sneak peek at conference presenters with descriptions in their own words. We'll be posting a teaser page each Monday. To register, visit: https://peachpuff-wasp-119435.hostingersite.com/registration-2019/ Vijaya Bodach - Writing a Book that’s...
Here's a sneak peek at conference presenters with descriptions in their own words. We'll be posting a teaser page each Monday. You still have time to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount. To register, visit: https://write2ignite.com/registration-2019/ Kim...
Here's a sneak peek at the Conference sessions, described by the presenters themselves. Watch for new "teaser" posts each Monday. You still have time to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount....
Spring Break - Finally! Exhausted from the cold wet winter weather and teacher paperwork this week I'm doing what I love most - digging in the dirt. Fence posts need to be set. Wire must be stretched and the garden has to be tilled. Why would I love all this...
As a writer, I often find myself bogged down in fear. Fear that my writing may not be good enough. Fear that I am too old. Fear that I don't know how to write. Attending conferences gives me the insight to overcome those fears through encouragement, instruction,...
How can I capture in words what last year’s Write2Ignite conference meant to me? Attending my first-ever writers' conference left me feeling (and probably looking) like a deer in headlights! I left with an overwhelming conviction of the need for Christian writers and...
U PDATE: Congratulations to Maria Faust Bostian, the winner of our Week 4 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone! All you have to do is answer this question: what has been your most memorable experience at a Write2Ignite conference? If you haven't attended a...
UPDATE: Congratulations to Jenna Turner, the winner of our teen contest! Keynote presenters, workshop choices, editor and agent appointments, professional critiques, and contests---these benefits are available to both students and adults who attend the Write2Ignite...
I love it when activities in my life work together for good . That is the way I feel about my running and w riting. One seems to feed the other. When I am out running, my mind clears and I relax . It is the time when I am most ready to listen. I’m not sure...
I remember words of advice from seasoned professionals in the writing industry. Don't be in a hurry to hit 'send' as soon as you finish your manuscript. Put it away for some time. Then, revisit it and send the revised, polished work on to your agent or publisher. I...
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....
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...
The week between Christmas and New Years is a special time of year. If you are an aspiring children's author, you may wonder how to best use this week. Christian authors focus on a variety of activities during Christmas week. The list is as varied as the individual...
If you follow our blog, you are interested in writing for children or teens. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes. You feel called to craft stories that will excite young readers, or you feel called to write Bible stories or devotionals that are just the right...
by Sally Matheny Recently released, Operation Birthday Celebration—A Journey to the Manger, offers a fun Christian alternative to a popular book on a spying elf. An additional handbook, overflowing with ideas for activities and teaching moments, accompanies this...
An aspiring author is sometimes in a quandary about what to do next. Perhaps, the would-be author sits at her computer and wonders what to do with her writing time that day. Several months ago, I posted a list of jump start ideas, Be an Author - Do One Thing. Let's...
We know that authors should read, read, read in the genre they write. So, for example, if you aspire to being a children's fiction author, you should read tons of children's fiction. If you want to write devotions for teens, you should read lots and lots of devotions...
One of the things I hear a lot of writers talk about is the balance between family life and career. In the countless interviews I've given through the years, the question of how I juggle the needs of my family with the demands of my writing career often comes up....
by Jan Prahl At Write2Ignite, one of our goals is to encourage you to write quality material for children and teens. As you pursue that goal there will be many opportunities to brag. Got a brag? Lay it on me! Here are a few questions to get your brag on. We want to...
Do you have a special place where you like to write? What makes it work for you? Kathleen M. Muldoon wrote a chapter in her book Sowing Seeds: Writing for the Christian Children's Market about the importance of setting up a place to write. Here are the first few...
A beginning writer's wish list before attending a writer's conference: An editor will fall in love with my manuscript and give me a contract on the spot. Lots of other writers will read my manuscripts and polish them so they shine. Many editors will recognize my...