Tools That Help Us Write Through Life's Devastations

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth

Devastation. We all face periods of devastation in our lives. One of Merriam-Webster definitions is to reduce to chaos, disorder, or helplessness.

Many of us are experiencing this on a whole new level after being hit by Hurricane Helene. The Big Wind Bag. The storm left unimaginable destruction in its wake over multiple states. Although, five days after the storm, we are still out of power; we were some of the fortunate ones. Four of the six homes across from us have huge trees lying on their roofs. And we are all saddened bu the stories we hear about some of our communities.

Genre Expectations: Writing Gothic Horror and Standard Horror

by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author

I love October. It’s my favorite month, and that’s not just because it’s my birth month. The air just feels different. At least, that’s the case in Kansas. The days start getting cooler as well, and since I work in an upstairs office with no air conditioning, I care about the temperatures!

But October is also heralded for a different reason. October is the spooky season. The time of year where ghosts and ghouls and other creatures of the night emerge from their shadowy realms and take center stage (and that’s just in the grocery stores).

How We Use Weather in Our Writing

by Lynn Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

A personal note from Lynn: Please continue to pray for all those impacted by Hurricane Helene. My brain can’t process the devastation, and my heart is broken for all who lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. 

***

For the past few days, the weather has been front and center in my life. Hurricane Helene and her aftermath have influenced every decision I’ve made, from what I’ve purchased at the store to how I’ve spent my time to how I’ve prayed. 

A few of my friends have mentioned how they fully expect some of the things that have happened to wind up in future books. And they’re probably right! 

As I’ve considered this, I started thinking about how we use weather in our writing.

How to Add Deep POV in a Scene You're Writing

by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

Getting deeply into a character can be one of the hardest, but most necessary, ways of creating character and many people struggle with getting deep Point of View (POV) right. Deep POV is usually what the reader can't really know about a character unless it's in a thought, but there are other ways to allow our characters to express, 1) dialogue, 2) body language, 3) action, and 4) thoughts when in the POV character.

How to Write First Person POV: Flashback

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells

Point of View encompasses the narrator's position in relation to a story being told.

Who is the narrator or storyteller? Essentially, there are four categories of point of view. Within those four, a couple have subcategories. 

Face Your Fears and Don't Let Blogging Scare You

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

It's almost October and in honor of Halloween, I just couldn't resist a tongue-in-cheek post about the scarier parts of blogging. After spending the year traveling and teaching writers about blogging, I have heard about every fear—heck, I’ve suffered from most of them. So today we’re going to look at some common fears about blogging and how to overcome them!

Remember, none of us is born knowing how to do this stuff. So let's find a way to combat our phobias together!

Expectations Can Be a Writer's Stumbling Block

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him (Psalm 62:5 NIV).

When I was young all I wanted to be was a writer. As a matter of fact, I actually wrote my first novel in eighth grade…long hand, with a purple ink pen. But through the years, my dream of writing drifted farther and farther from the realm of reasonable possibilities, until I finally I gave up.