Writing from the Desert

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water (Psalm 63:1, When David was in the Desert of Judah).

Bump, roll…thump! Bump, roll…thump!

(Giggle)

What Would You Do If Writing Let You Onto The Big Stage

by Tim Suddeth @TimSuddeth

I’ve just finished Tim LaHaye’s Jesus. It’s a look back through history at why the world is still fascinated by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. In the last chapter, he writes that while following Christ is a choice with eternal consequences, often the journey will be unpopular here on earth.

It got me thinking. (Don’t you hate that.)

Becoming a Middle of the Pack Writer

Edie here. I'm so thrilled to introduce you to my friend, Starr Ayers. Not only is she an excellent writer, she has a wonderful blog and is an amazing photographer. I know you're going to love her, so give her a warm TWC welcome!

Becoming a Middle of the Pack Writer
by Starr Ayers @StarrAyers2 

My memories of grade school are sketchy, but I do recall a first-grade writing assignment.  Our teacher passed out ruled sheets of handwriting paper and told us to print our names on the first line. How hard could it be, right? With a pencil as thick as my thumb and my tongue thrust between my teeth at just the right angle, I scrawled my name with broad, deliberate strokes on the top line of my paper. As my teacher ambled through the rows of students, she gave nods of approval―until she came to me. With a scowl, she eyed my name written on the first line of the top margin, instead of within the first two lines, and with a gruff reprimand gave my blonde bangs a quick yank. No wonder it’s taken me over two-thirds of my life to realize I’m a writer. If not for that early trauma, I’m convinced I’d be a New York Times bestselling author by now.

Waiting for the Right Time to Write

by Lynn Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

March of 2019 marks ten years since I began writing. I sat at a computer in our bonus room and the story in my head found its way onto a page. That book remains in a drawer, but that night was the beginning of all that has come since.

Tips for Tagging Dialogue

by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

Dialogue tags can be one of the most useful tools in your toolbox, or they can be completely wasted words, depending on how you use them. Putting just a little thought behind which tags you use can make all the difference in the world. A dialogue tag – also called an attribution – is a small phrase, which usually tells the reader WHO is speaking. But it can tell us so much more.

After the Conference—How to Navigate a Writing Conference, Part 2

by PeggySue Wells @PeggySueWells

Wonder of wonders, miracles of miracles, you attended a writers conference and met with an editor about your project. 

At the end of your 15-minute meeting, the editor handed you his or her business card.

“Send me the proposal. I’d like to take a look at that.”

It's Time to Quit Social Media

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Yep you read that right. And even though it IS April Fool's Day, I'm only half kidding.

The Queen of social media is telling you it's time to QUIT social media. 

NOT permanently (thought you were going to get out of it, didn’t you!), but I'm suggesting you take a break periodically, and re-examine your plan.

I used to keep up with social every single day, whether I was home or traveling. But I’ve learned that I can’t sustain a reasonable social media schedule seven days a week, indefinitely. So I’ve given myself permission to have weekends off and to relax when I’m traveling.