Tuesday, March 31, 2020

6 Tips for Social Media Time Management


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Many writers I speak with are doing more than juggling writing and social media—they're also committed to something else full time—a job, family, ministry, etc. Others are torn between family responsibilities and industry requirement. All these individuals have my utmost respect!

Today, I'd like to offer some tips specifically for those in that situation.

Monday, March 30, 2020

Enjoy Your Best Writing Life with These 12 Tips


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

The writer’s life isn’t an easy one. So much of what we create comes from some place deep inside ourselves. Giving that way can be exhausting, not to mention frustrating, when we feel empty.


The good news is that there are things we can do to help ourselves. I’ve come to learn that we either set ourselves up for success or we set ourselves up for failure. Today I’ll share some of the writing and blogging hacks that every successful writer needs to know.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Let Go of the Steering Wheel


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

There are times in my life when making the right decision seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately those times are few and far between.

For those of you who visit my blog regularly it will come as no surprise that I tend to be a little bit of a control freak. And that character trait often makes it difficult to follow God unconditionally. Let me give you an example.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Help—Someone wants to use my content!


by Cathy Fyock @CathyFyock

“Cathy, I just did a presentation and it went really well. I’m concerned because someone from my session asked if they could use my content. What do I do?”

It’s the dilemma faced by most speakers, trainers, consultants, coaches, experts, and thought leaders who use their expertise in the course of their businesses. We want to be regarded as thought leaders, yet we also need to retain ownership of our Intellectual Property (IP). 

Friday, March 27, 2020

Encouragement for Writers Who Don’t Like to Rest


by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2

The concept of rest is foreign to my Type A personality. I’m a doer, not a sitter. I agree with the philosophy of the pastor who said he’d rather burn out than rust out. But since burning out isn’t my goal, I’d rather work smart than work hard. Success requires some of each.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Continue the Journey


by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas


Continue the Journey has been my tag line since I first became serious about writing and printed my first business cards. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Tips to Write Through the Chaos


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Life happens to all of us, and with it comes times of chaos and catastrophe. It’s easy to get derailed and let our writing life come to a screeching halt. That’s never a good thing, no matter what crisis we’re dealing with—from the death of a loved one, to an unexpected pandemic. Because as writers, we process life by putting words on paper (or screen). Suddenly finding ourselves with no time or energy to write can be as traumatic as the original event. 

We need that exercise to keep us sane. The things we write may change, depending on the circumstance where we find ourselves, but I propose that we will cope better by setting aside time. Today I want to share some tips to keep moving forward when life happens.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Dipping the Quill Deeper: The Overnight Publishing Success Story


by Eva Marie Everson @EvaMarieEverson

In 2000, Multnomah Books published a book by Bruce Wilkinson titled The Prayer of Jabez. This less-than-100-page book was deemed the first in a ten-book series known as The BreakThrough Series. I’m not sure the publishing staff at Multnomah could have, in the beginning, envisioned the monstrous success this book would become. To date, it has sold more than 10 million copies and sparked countless numbers of products. I suspect I know why.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Backstory for Writers: When and How



I love backstory but not in the beginning pages of a book. There. I said it. When I mentor new writers, they invariably ask, "But how will the reader know my character? Where she's been and what made her the way she is now?"

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Walking Through the Storms of Life


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Nothing can ruffle our feathers like a storm. And some seasons of life bring a series of storms. With all that’s going on around us with Covid19, we’re in the middle of a big one. 

However storms don’t have to be hurricane size to be exhausting. Sometimes it’s the tiny, ongoing circumstances that sap us the most. Like single drops of water in series have the ability to wear away solid rock, so these recurring events deplete our energy and—in the process—draw our focus away from God. 

Saturday, March 21, 2020

A Writer Looks at Grief


by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme 

The dictionary describes grief as, “keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow, painful regret. Agony, despair.” 

These emotions can be fueled by rejection by an agent, the loss of a pet, the death of a loved one, or any incident that collapses our world. Grief takes hold of us like a vice, smothering our creativity by snuffing out our dreams for today and tomorrow. We crash emotionally. Our bodies feel like lead. The hole in our heart produces crushing emotional pain. Our mind won’t let go of the picture of what could have been. Our self-talk changes from hope to one of despair. While these reactions often occur after loss, there is one aspect of grieving that spirals us into the dark recesses of the abyss. That is to blame God. To feel forsaken by the God who we felt we could depend on.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Improve Your Book’s Amazon Rank


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

Is your book selling as well as you would like? How would you like to attain a higher Amazon rank? This article will describe techniques to boost your book’s rank by adding book categories and strengthening keywords. It takes a little work, but the results can be exceptional.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

10 Tips for Quoting Scripture in Your Writing


by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

There’s study mode, and then there’s writing mode. When we’re jotting down Bible verses in our spiritual journals, we normally don’t think about writing down the Bible translation. Or where the quotation marks go. Or if a period should be before the reference or after it. We’re in study mode, fixated on a verse’s beauty or power, and rightfully so. But when we quote Scripture in our writing, it’s not just about getting the words right, but remembering the correct formatting. Not because we’re legalistic or the punctuation police will come after us, but so we can help our readers. And our editors.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

5 Tips for When You Are Discouraged in Your Call to Write



by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindaSMcDowel

You got excited. Inspired to write. Motivated to minister. Challenged to pursue dreams.

And, for a while there—surrounded by kindred spirits cheering you on—you could almost taste the success. A book published. A conference keynote scheduled. A popular blog.

But now. Now you live in reality. Of words that won’t come. At least not in the right order. Of emails that say your social media numbers aren’t high enough. Of family and friends who still treat your holy calling as a mere hobby.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Book Launch Tips for Authors


by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

A book launch encompasses all the activity around the release of a book. The plans are as varied as authors and their titles. The following are two snapshots of single activities. One took a lot of planning and the other took a few minutes. They were both part of a larger plan.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

A Prayer for Writers


by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

As writers who are Believers in Christ, we should be praying for our writing. That sounds very simplistic, but am I the only one that often forgets to cover my writing in prayer before I get into a writing jam?

Friday, March 13, 2020

5 Ways to Honor God in Your Writing


by Joshua J. Masters @JoshuaJMasters

As a Christian writer, our first goal shouldn’t be a publishing contract or word count. Those are both important, but our priority should be to glorify God and draw closer to Him in our writing.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Writing the Rest of the Story


by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

For more than three decades, he told “the rest of the story” on the airwaves of radio programs that reached millions of listeners every week. News broadcaster Paul Harvey delivered current event stories with a flair like no other, inserting dramatic pauses and intonations and his own quirky sense of humor. 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

7 Benefits of Writing Articles


by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

As I step back into the writing business after almost a year away, my mind immediately went to my favorite kind of writing—articles. Just in the last couple of weeks, I have written and submitted over half a dozen articles. I am rediscovering the fun of writing for publication.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Guarding the Integrity of the Writer


by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

We live in a judgmental world. These days, integrity is, well. . . defining.

When my boys were in high school it was fun to watch the expression on their faces when I knew what went on at school before they got home. The truth is, people do not live to share the joys of your children, rather they rush to tell you all the unpleasant things. Sad as it is, the news is always hidden under a ruse like, “So and so was caught doing this at school. Don’t your boys hang out with him because today…”

Monday, March 9, 2020

Storytelling for Authors, Part 1


by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1

Have you ever spoken to a group to promote your business or ministry and wished you hadn’t?

A little over twenty years ago, I spoke for a conference and hoped it would launch my career. It didn’t. I rambled on and on. I had the passion to speak, but no storytelling techniques.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

When the Unimportant Becomes Too Important

Edie here. Today I'm super excited to introduce you to our newest Write Conversation Columnist - Martin Wiles. I've long admired his writing and the way his dedication to the Lord always shines through everything he does. Now I've managed to persuade him to share his heart with us every month. Be sure to give Martin a warm TWC welcome!


When the Unimportant Becomes Too Important
by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

But all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. (Mark 4:19 NLT)

Sometimes, the unimportant becomes too important.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

When a Writer Needs to Rediscover Her Reading Mojo


by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

While some writers have been writing stories since they could hold a pencil, that wasn’t my experience. I was a reader first. For thirty-five years I fell into books, crawled into stories, and lived there as often as possible. 

Then one day the stories in my head tumbled onto a page. I started writing, and for a while the writing seriously messed up my reading life! Perhaps you can relate?

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Learn to Build Tension in Your Novel


by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

Conflict and tension are very different. Conflict is a problem between two ‘things’—two people, two armies, two countries, a person and a fish—or even an argument between two points of view in a person’s head. Tension, on the other hand, raises questions in our stories and is there all the time. We need both.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Write Anyway


by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells

Daughter of a town marshal, and recipient of the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels. Known for her western romance series, and living in the west, she offers these tips to fellow writers.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Do You Struggle with Writing Procrastinating?


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I love writing. And I love talking about writing.

Sitting around with other writers, discussing all things literary is one of my favorite things. It’s one of the reasons I love attending writing conferences.

But there are people we know who like talking about writing so much that’s all they do. They join writers groups, critique groups, even take classes. 
The one thing they don’t do is write.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

So That You May Know For Certain


by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught. Luke 1:1-4, NET

We held our breath as music intro to the local news marched through our living room. Alert and erect, two reporters looked directly into the camera, faces serious, as The Defenders rose in a flash of orange beneath them on the television screen.