The Write2Ignite Podcast: Ep. 6: Brenda B. Covert

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, Meanwhile, Back at the Manger tells the story […]

The Write2Ignite Podcast: Ep. 5: Lori Z. Scott

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 in the first place. When it was suggested that […]

The Write2Ignite Podcast Ep. 3: Laura Sassi

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 to her name, Laura’s newest picture book, Pumpkin […]

Share Your Writing Skills with Others

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 scare potential publishers or agents. God may have even opened up […]

Should Your Narrator be a Character?

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? Should your narrator be you? Mark Twain and Charles Dickens seemed […]

Two Kinds of Children’s Books

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 librarian and teacher’s lists. They […]

Writing for the Ear

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 me something similar. She said that Shakespeare’s plays were never meant […]

Take a Break!

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 break? But wouldn’t that be counterproductive when there’s so much to do? No. Here’s […]