Students who study composition are typically familiar with basic essay or creative story writing skills. If you’re thinking of becoming an author, some of the lessons you learned in composition class may come in handy. One of the skills your instructor probably focused on at some point is “writing outlines.” Writing outlines helps authors organize … Read more
Is it possible to take your novel from manuscript to “book available for purchase” on your own? The overall answer is “yes,” although it might not be the best fit for you. Before jumping into those (often turbulent) waters head first, it’s wise to learn more about self-publishing as it compares to the traditional publishing … Read more
If you’ve been following this blog for a while now, you’ve no doubt read posts that mentioned “character development” as an integral component of quality writing in the fiction industry. Readers must believe your characters and must be able to relate to them. One of the most challenging characters to develop, especially as a new … Read more
Authors are human beings, just like everyone else. They come from all walks of life, economic statuses, faith backgrounds, races, ethnicities and geographical locations. They’re affected by “the human condition,” which can sometimes include a personal crisis. If you’re an author whose current work in progress (WIP) is suffering because of personal problems, this post … Read more
After deciding that you want to be an author, you must also choose a writing niche, although it is possible to write books in multiple genres. You’ve probably noticed, however, that most best-selling or prolific authors typically home in on sci-fi, romance, historical fiction, thrillers, mystery or other categories. Christian fiction is currently a booming … Read more
If you’ve ever attended a writing workshop, the instructor may have taught that it’s always best to allow your readers to experience the events and scenes in your stories, rather than simply telling them what’s happening. Providing information has its place, as does “setting the scene” through the author’s descriptions. Throughout a story, however, and … Read more
The answer is yes. Some people mistakenly believe that, because Christianity includes belief in “objective/absolute truth,” that fiction stories in this genre must be based in real-world ideas and events. In fact, Christian authors are as free as writers of other genres to “build new worlds” in their stories. It would, of course, become problematic … Read more
In the publishing industry, there are numerous types of pre-book work that help turn a manuscript into a novel. While it’s possible to do all the legwork yourself (as a writer), that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. For example, it’s typically not a good idea to edit your own work. This is especially true … Read more
You recently retired from your life-long career. You’re ready to enter your golden years or twilight years, or whatever you’d like to call them. It’s normal to look back on life at this stage. You might be pleased with your accomplishments and feel blessed for the experiences you’ve had. There might also be one or … Read more
Career authors are typically observant. They like to people-watch. Their real-life experiences, including people they know or meet, often inspire new stories and characters for their books. It’s logical to assume that you’ve read fictional stories containing people, places or events based on an author’s reality. Slander and libel are both forms of defamation. The … Read more