What makes a Christian blog successful?

by Sue Schlesman @SueSchlesman

If you’re a writer, you probably have a blog. Or you’re thinking about writing a blog. Or you’re overwhelmed managing it. Or you’ve given up. Or maybe, you’re doing so well, your posts are going viral. (If so, I’d like to talk to you.)

Creating Heroes: Ten Ways to Reveal the Heroic Qualities of Your Character in Story (Part 1)

Edie here. I wish you could see me—I'm almost jumping up and down from excitement. I have managed to convince filmmaker and story teller extraordinaire, Zena Dell Lowe to join The Write Conversation as a regular contributor. Hopefully many of you are already familiar with her informative Podcast, The Storyteller's Mission. I met Zena years ago when we were both on staff at a writers conference and know first hand her talent for teaching. So please join me in a warm TWC welcome!

Creating Heroes: Ten Ways to Reveal the Heroic Qualities of Your Character in Story

by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe

One of the things that's really important for you to learn as a writer is how to create heroic characters. With only a few exceptions, your main character becomes the hero of your story. Therefore, it’s your job to show the audience that they are genuinely heroic. But that begs the question, how, exactly, can that be accomplished? How do you reveal to the audience the noble qualities of a hero that your main character ought to possess? 

How God Orchestrates the Events of Our Writing Life—The Mystery of the Open Door

By Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2

 

Do you ever pray for God to “open the door” in your publishing life? I do. Every day.

Carpe Diem Writers

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

Are you like me? Does every day start with a list of things that have to must be done? Many people can get through their day with a mental list. I’m not one of them. I need my written list. After it’s written, I need to set the proper priorities.

Facebook Changes February 2021, What's A Writer to do with Facebook Now?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

By now everyone has heard about the most recent changes in Facebook. A lot of you have reached out, asking for advice on how writers should move forward with social media. Here's the most important piece of advice I can give you...

Don't Panic!

Dipping The Quill Deeper - Spontaneous Creativity for Writers #2

by Eva Marie Everson

Last month I encouraged you to write spontaneously, using a painting for inspiration. This is an activity I enjoy quite often and use to break writers block. 

Four Ps on a Writer’s Journey

By Pat Nichols @PatNichols16

In 2015, after spending a year writing my first manuscript, I attended my first Christian writer’s conference. Talk about an eye-opener. While the workshops were informative and the networking delightful, the most valuable experience was Eva Marie Everson’s critique of my first three chapters. Her professional feedback made it clear my work wasn’t ready for primetime. At the same time her compliments and encouragement affirmed my decision to say goodbye to retirement and hello to career number two as an author.

My motto became, it’s never too late to follow your dreams. When dreams collide with God’s purpose something magical happens. 

Tally On, Dear Writer

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

I admit I’m an overachieving planner and organizer. I’m a queen list maker—even making lists of my lists. It’s probably more accurate to say I’m a big-dreamer or I’m unaware my lists are longer than a 24/7 schedule would allow to be completed. It could be said I’m a great example of someone desperately needing a recovery program for it. At times it has consumed me. 

How Do Writers Respond to Change?

by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme

In a world that is rapidly changing, we can easily lose our bearings. What grounded us may be gone. The thing that we could count on may be missing. We may feel like we’re floating with no safe place to land. We’re surrounded by loss. We thought our writing made a difference. Now we wonder. 

Do the Words We Write Matter?

by Crystal Bowman

With many different genes, there are countless ways our words can make a difference in the lives of others. When I was a stressed-out mom of three little ones, reading a chapter or two of a novel before I feel asleep provided a therapeutic escape from my mommy world. Books for children, teens, and adults can be entertaining, inspirational, educational, and many can bring readers to a deeper faith. 

Developing a Business Growth Plan for Writers

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

Your business’s growth plan outlines where you want your company to grow in the next few years. Growing your business, whether through increased book sales or additional publications, is a way to increase revenue. What goals do you have for growth, and how do you plan to get there? Those are the questions. By the end of this five-step process, you should have a clear idea of what goals you want your business to achieve this year. Visually documenting the plan to achieve your business goals will provide a concise growth strategy that is easy-to-follow.

Dear Writer, Love Your Audience

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

She pressed the thin book to her forehead. She didn’t care that she had found it at Goodwill and a third of its pages had a coffee stain. The title had grabbed her attention—Unfailing Love. 

May I Bless You Today? A Writer's Blessing

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindaSMcDowel

There was too much noise for me as the New Year began, chaos both without and within.

So, I unplugged for a month. I stilled my soul. I listened to God. And sometimes I wrote down what I heard. 

I asked Him to help me learn how to be a blessing each day to all I encounter and thus live out my word-for-the-year – Blessing.

As I prayed, YOU came to mind – my fellow writers and speakers. Messengers of the Great Love Story.

Growing Your Reach with Borrowed Platforms and Piggyback Marketing

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

What’s in a term?

• Platforms borrowed or owned
• Piggyback Marketing

Do we understand what the above terms mean and how to harness the power of any of them, or the downfalls of some of them? The way we engage become strategies or methods that help us grow our reach, become more visible, and hopefully grown our owned platforms, so let’s examine each term.

Keeping Cool When the Meal’s Overdue

by Martin Wiles @LinesFrom God

A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them. Proverbs 15:18 NLT

“I’d like to take ya’ll to lunch at _________. Would that be okay?”

When the lead teacher sent the email, excitement crept over me. I enjoyed our In-Service day since I needed time to catch up on grading papers and to complete a few other writing projects. But since we only had a few parent-teacher conferences scheduled, the day was beginning to drag. I quickly accepted—as did all the other teachers.

Looking for Opportunities to Do All Things in Love

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

It’s February, the month that arrives tossing out chocolates and heralding romance. 

If you’re single, there’s Singles Awareness Day – as if you’re not aware of your relationship status. 

Whether you embrace, tolerate, or try to ignore the love oozing out of February, the theme remains front and center, at least until all the Valentine’s Day candy disappears.

I came across a Scripture verse earlier in the month that has stayed with me, one appropriate for this month. You know how you read a passage and it’s as if God uses his yellow highlighter and says, “Don’t miss this verse.”

The Character of a Christian Writer

by Joshua J. Masters @JoshuaJMasters

The standard trope of a writer’s life evokes visions of someone sitting in the lonely glow of a laptop as fingernails tap out the rhythm of a single-toned symphony, an arrangement for keyboard that results in the creation of a well-rounded, dynamic character. But what is the character of a Christian writer—not the characters we’re creating, but the character God is creating in us?

Celebrate an Endless List of Newspaper Writing Topics

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

What’s up in your neck of the woods? I hope that you have the pleasure of reading good news stories in your hometown newspaper. But if the bad news or difficult headlines to read far outweigh the “feel-good” stories in your paper, why not consider submitting freelance articles to the editor for possible publication? 

A Special Invitation to the Carolina Christian Writers Conference

by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

Happy almost Valentine’s Day.

Have you already bought a special gift for your sweetie? If you are like my husband, he may ask you a few days before the occasion – What would you like for Valentine’s Day? May I make a suggestion? Registration for the Carolina Christian Writers Conference would be a fabulous Valentine’s Day gift for a writer. And if you don’t have a special someone in your life, gift yourself with a conference that will help you follow your writing dreams.

Believing in Yourself as a Writer is Vital

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

I have a confession. It’s hard to admit to the world but it’s true. I suffer from a severe lack of self-confidence.

Valentine’s Day Speaking Tips for Writers

by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1

Whether you’ve never married, are married, divorced, or widowed, Valentine’s Day with the Lord can be a fabulous speaking day for writers. For the never married, divorced, or widowed writers, it can also be a painful day. 

You and I can use the Valentine’s Day speaking tips as a springboard for virtual or live events. As much as possible, we can include God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in our Valentine’s Day plans. If you have a spouse, children, in-laws, or grandchildren in the home, you can still celebrate with God and invite them to join you. Whether they accept the invitation is up to them.

Writing Lessons from One Perfect Flower

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

This flowering bush stopped me in my tracks. I was first struck by the rich purple of the blossoms. As I studied the plant, my photographer’s eye searched for just the right flower in just the right setting. It took several minutes before I chose this particular one. 

Time is a Gift

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth

When this post goes live, it will be my birthday. Again. Seems like it comes around every year.

However, this is one that gets your attention. 60. The big six oh. (You thought I looked older than that? Thanks.)

How did it happen so quickly? I’m minding my own business, then, all of a sudden, I’m getting letters from AARP.

Writing Character Focused Fight Scenes

by A.C. Williams @Free2BFearless

If you write stories with action scenes, it’s important to know how to communicate action in a way that doesn’t make your readers zone out. The world is full of distractions—now more than ever—and we are competing against media giants like YouTube and Netflix for the waning attention spans of the general public.

Writing Rejection Doesn't Mean Writing Reject

by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

Rejection stinks.

It hurts. 

I hate it.

And I deal with it all.the.time.

Creating Believable Action in Your Manuscript

by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

I love fight scenes in movies and on TV. Full of powerful moves, with lunges and uppercuts and fancy steps, they seem very real. But they’re not. They’ve been carefully blocked, with everything we see having been choreographed as if it were a dance, something that is also blocked out. Even love scenes have “intimacy coordinators” now, so that actors can make love scenes realistic. Amazing! 

Who is Your Reading Audience?

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells

You have an idea, message, or story you want to share. The question is, who do you want to share your message with?

Are We Writers about Our Father’s Business?

By Kristen Hogrefe Parnell @khogrefeparnell

What are we about this year? I don’t mean about five foot, six inches tall or about forever twenty-one years of age.

I mean, what are you doing. What am I doing? And how?

This question comes from Luke chapter two. You probably remember the story. After celebrating the Passover at Jerusalem, Jesus’ family begins the long trek home with a caravan of other travelers. Because the company was so large, Mary and Joseph assumed Jesus was there, somewhere.

News flash, He wasn’t, and when His parents realized their oversight, they hustled back to Jerusalem to search for Him. At long last, they found Jesus in the temple. 

Imagine with me Mary and Joseph’s agitation. Their faces are probably red. They haven’t slept in three days. They’re out of coffee, and tempers are running short. Naturally, when they find Him, they’re both relieved and agitated.

Jesus’ response reveals that He understood His purpose better than they did. “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49b NKJV).

His question begs us to consider: Are we about our Father’s business as well? 

How can writers go about God’s business?