What Makes a Story Matter? How Great Fiction Shapes Hearts, Minds, and Souls

From Edie: Zena Dell Lowe shares how our stories do matter. And helps writers discover seven qualities of meaningful fiction that inspire hope, reveal truth, and leave a lasting impact on readers.

What Makes a Story Matter? How Great Fiction Shapes Hearts, Minds, and Souls

by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe

I’ve spent the last month at a few different conferences talking to writers about their stories. And beneath all the discussions of mythology, character development, story structure, and arc, there’s an underlying question that creatives seem to be asking:

Does my story matter?

The fact is, not all stories are created equal. Some stories matter more than others—not because of their genre or popularity, but because of the truths they embody and the loves they cultivate.

Outdated Writing Habits Every Author Should Stop Using—and What to Do Instead

From Edie: Lori Hatcher helps writers answer the question, "Are outdated writing habits holding you back?" Discover modern writing, publishing, and platform practices every author should embrace today.

Outdated Writing Habits Every Author Should Stop Using—and What to Do Instead

by Lori Hatcher

I threw away a pair of shoes recently that were at least fifteen years old. My high school daughter and I had gone shopping one day, and we both liked the strappy sandals, but not enough to pay full price for them. We liked them enough not to want to leave them behind, though, so we compromised. We each contributed half of the cost and shared them.

Does Your Character's Voice Change? How Dialogue Reveals Personality, Growth, and Conflict

From Edie: Henry McLaughlin answers the question, "Does your character sound the same in every scene?" Learn how changing dialogue based on relationships, conflict, and circumstance creates believable characters.

Does Your Character's Voice Change? How Dialogue Reveals Personality, Growth, and Conflict

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

While preparing a class on dialogue recently, I came across a concept I hadn’t noticed or considered before: our character’s voice may change based on the situation they’re in. 

Consider our own daily lives and the various situations we find ourselves in. If we have a day job, we speak in a different manner to our boss than we do our co-workers. If we’re in customer service, we often react differently with different customers. Some we can be playful and joke with. Others are strictly business and we maintain the professional decorum they demand, even if only non-verbally.

Does Fate Belong in Fiction? Why Character Choices Matter More in Fiction

From Edie: DiAnn Mills answer the question, "Does fate belong in fiction?" Learn why character choices, free will, and realistic consequences create stronger, more compelling stories.

Does Fate Belong in Fiction? Why Character Choices Matter More in Fiction

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Fate in fiction suggests the character plays little in the role of a story’s events. The development or outcome becomes a supernatural occurrence. Some writers use luck, destiny, written in the stars, or providence to create a desirable outcome in their stories. 

But is that fair to the reader?

Does this include genres of speculative fiction that by their name hints at supernatural occurrences guiding the writer’s hand?

Dipping the Quill Deeper: How Critique Groups Can Shape Writers as Christians

From Edie: Eva Marie Everson reminds us how a great critique group does more than improve your writing. Discover how Christian writers find community, encouragement, and lasting friendships.

Dipping the Quill Deeper: How Critique Groups Can Shape Writers as Christians

by Eva Marie Everson @EversonAuthor

Sometimes a critique group offers more than mere critiques.

As you may know, I’m the CEO of Word Weavers International, an world-wide organization dedicated to providing a forum for Christian writers to critique one another's work so as to improve craft. I am personally a member of both a traditional group (face-to-face) and an online group (using Zoom).

Kill Your Darlings: Why Writers Must Let Go of Favorite Scenes to Improve Their Manuscripts

From Edie: Struggling to cut favorite scenes or passages? Our best blogger, Carol McClain helps writers learn why they must “kill their darlings,” trust feedback, and strengthen their manuscripts.

Kill Your Darlings: Why Writers Must Let Go of Favorite Scenes to Improve Their Manuscripts

by Carol McClain @Carol_McClain 

Oh, If only I believed the truth of the title of this article, I’d be a New York Times best seller by now (or in my dreams). Trust your advisors, editors, and your purpose for your work. Trust your gut.

One example will illustrate what I mean.

My newest work, Choices We Make, features a minor character—my protagonist’s neighbor. Leah is kind, generous, and exceptionally lonely. If her husband understood her problem, maybe her marriage could survive

If you read my first versions of her character, you would never have rooted for her. Or for my main character.

But I wrote her characterization in my sacred first draft.

A Writer's Choice: How to Know Which Writing Advice to Follow—and Which to Ignore

From Edie: Tammy Karasek can help when you're feeling overwhelmed by conflicting writing advice. Learn how to evaluate suggestions, avoid common traps, and build a writing process that works for you.

A Writer's Choice: How to Know Which Writing Advice to Follow—and Which to Ignore

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

If you’ve been writing for a while, it’s safe to say you’ve heard a lot of advice. Some say listen to all advice—while others’ say don’t listen to any advice, do the research and lessons for yourself. Talk about extremes.