Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Tips to Creating Effective Blog Post Titles


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I spend a lot of time sharing other bloggers’ posts with my social media network. But spend even more time passing over valuable posts because my followers would have no idea what the post was about. So today I want to give you the basics of titling blog posts.

I pay a lot of attention to my blog post titles, and I often spend almost as much time composing them as I do writing an entire post.

They are that important!

Monday, October 28, 2019

Why a Writer's Office Needs a Door


by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I have a dream. It's of my optimal office space. I've achieved part of it, but there are some elements missing. Like the mountain lake outside my window. Hey, a girl can dream, right? I'd love a coffee bar behind my desk. I’m want someone to invent a desk that cleans itself. But most of all, I want a door I can close when I'm working. 

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Persona Non Au Gratin


by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

Do you know how glorious it is to speak at an event that’s directed by a thoughtful and gracious event coordinator? Near-heaven. Chauffeured about, fed the best meals from the finest restaurants, then transported to a posh hotel with a gorgeous gift basket already waiting. Mint-on-the-pillow kind of stuff. Oh how I like being treated like a queen. No one knows better than I do that I don’t deserve it. But I still like it.  

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Generate More Speaking Opportunities While You're Speaking


by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock

When you speak, what can you do to generate more speaking assignments?

There are many ways you can generate more speaking engagements while you speak! 

During your keynote, workshop, seminar, or webinar, you might include some phrases that let the audience know that you are a speaker and that you regularly provide programs on this and similar topics. While it may seem obvious to you that you would like to do more speaking, the audience may not be aware and are only given this idea when you mention in your presentation that you do other presentations. Do this by including phrases such as the following:

Friday, October 25, 2019

A Seasoned Writer’s Prayer


by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Corinthians 4:7

Father, thank you for the writing opportunities you’ve given me. Thank you for article ideas, devotional thoughts, and book concepts. Thank you for the joy of writing. Your Word tells me “every good and perfect gift comes from above,” so I know these publishing treasures come from you. 

Thursday, October 24, 2019

What Legacy Are We Leaving?


by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas


Often when we think of legacy, it’s in terms of what are we leaving behind us materially. We can’t take it with us. We never see a hearse followed by an armored car filled with gold.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

7 Tips to Take the Boo out of Writing


by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Do you feel like it’s Halloween every time you start a writing project? How would you like to take the boo out of those scary feelings? The following are seven ways to overcome the fear and write on!

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Dipping the Quill Deeper: Along the Road to Getting Lost in Writing


by Eva Marie Everson @EvaMarieEverson

When all’s said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it’s not so much which road you take, as how you take it. ~~Charles de Lint, Dutch-Canadian author of fantasy fiction

Monday, October 21, 2019

Get the Most of Writing Coaching


by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

When you feel stuck or want to get to the next level in your writing/publishing consider using a coach. Many coaches have specialties in what they do best. The coach’s job is to help you move forward and overcome obstacles that keep you from improving and reaching goals. Coaches don’t make you a best seller. They guide you to where you want to get next. That means you need to identify your needs and goals.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Think Differently About Your Writing


by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam


There have been many conferences this year already. Maybe you’ve attended one or two yourself. We may be hearing about the successes of our fellow writers, while we may be hearing rejections. Or worse, no response at all. 

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Seven Deadly Sins for Writers


by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme

One thing that great novels consider is the search for self. Good writing brings us into story and, as we enter another’s world, we allow the protective shield around our hearts to peel back. What we see in the protagonist, we often begin to recognize in ourselves. Good storytelling does that. A prime example is Jane Austen’s delightful novel Pride and Prejudice. 

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Book Marketing Through Writing Contests


by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

Contests are an excellent promotional tactic for authors. When your book is a finalist in a competition, you can use that information to promote it through many outlets. Entering book contests should be a part of every author’s marketing plan. This article will help authors navigate the process.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Are You Writing with Insight?


by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Takeaway is the heart of our writing. What do you want your readers to take away with them once they’ve read your blog posts, articles, or books? That answer drives every paragraph, molds every sentence, and selects every word. 

Insight. That’s what our readers want. They want to know how to solve a problem, answer a question, or meet a felt need. They want meaningful takeaway written by people who have discovered the answer, who know the subject from the inside out. Our insights won’t be perfect; only God’s are. But with His help, we can deliver insight that’s practical, proven, and profound. 

Monday, October 14, 2019

Physical Preparation for a Speaking Event


by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1

Are you worn out? Perhaps you’re thinking, Is there no end to the preparation for a speaking event? 

I understand. In my early training to become a speaker, I once threw my arms up in the air, looked to the sky, and said, “Gracious, does it ever end?”

Friday, October 11, 2019

The Cure for Discouraged Writers


By Joshua J. Masters @JoshuaJMasters

Christian writers are not immune to rejection and struggle. I’d like to say I responded to a recent rejection by saying, “What a delightful part of God’s plan for this project,” but that’s not exactly how I felt. When we feel discouraged in our writing, how do we overcome the negative story we tell ourselves and recapture the heart of what God’s called us to do?

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Write On, Scribes!


by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

Last week, while Lori Hatcher penned the words for her September 27 post on The Write Conversation, I spoke at a gathering of the Jolly Christians, the senior ministry of a small church about twenty minutes from my home. Interestingly, Lori and I shared common Bible characters in our thought process. Lori’s delightful post about “Barry” and “Jerry” can be found here on An Unlikely Publishing Story.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Publishing as a Second Language—What It Means to Write on Assignment


by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

As a new writer I remember hearing seasoned writers talk about writing assignments and wondering How do you ever get to that point?
           
The short answer is lots of hard work! But if you are one of those writers who would love to have editors calling or emailing you with an assignment, let’s talk about how to get there.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Woes of Unsolicited Manuscripts in Publishing


by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

No unsolicited manuscripts!  Ah, the pain of reading or hearing those three words is every writer’s nightmare. As the squeeze on the publishing industry grows tighter and tighter, so grows the frustration of the new writer.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Starting Where You’re At (in Book Marketing and Life)


by Ralene Burke @RaleneB

I have had one CRAZY summer. Insane. Unyielding. Emotional. In fact, I’m convinced August was a blackhole that didn’t actually happen. Before I could recover, my book release time was here, and I had hardly done anything I had planned to do. This launch was going to be a total failure. 

Unforeseen Circumstances 

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Our Words as an Instrument of Gentleness


by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

The United States had just invaded Iraq, and we were Americans living in a Muslim country. The national news was not kind, nor was it censored. Images of children, victims of bombs, flashed daily across television screens, along with a call to defeat the infidel. 

Saturday, October 5, 2019

How To Use NaNoWriMo to Further Your Writing


by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth

It’s almost that time of year again. No, not pumpkin-spice season. NaNoWriMo.

Now, for the very few of you who are asking what is that, NaNoWriMo is the National Novel Writing Month that takes place annually in November. Can you believe that this is its twentieth year?

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Don't Despise the Writing Time You DO Have


by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

Do you ever wish you had all the time you need to write?

Do you let the fact that you don’t have enough time stop you from writing?

Do you wonder what the point of writing is when you can’t keep up with the pace set by other writers?

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

The Art of Writing Action


by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

Characters do more than just talk at each other. They move—with grace, in anger, to disguise emotion—and movement tells even more about them than their words. Understanding and using action to tell a story is both powerful and organic—a naturally evolving way to strong characterization.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

For Writers: What to Remember, What to Forget


by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells


Multi-published author and ghostwriter of more than 100 titles, Cecil (Cec) Murphey tells how his missionary experience impacts his writing. 

A decade after I left Kenya, East Africa, I returned and met with a group of pastors whom I had taught. I preached twice that day, both in churches I helped to start. Afterward, ten of us gathered in the home of Blasio Were, one of the pastors. Because he was the only one who didn’t know fluent English, we spoke in Luo, the local language.