Over the last several weeks, we have taken a look at scene development and have learned that a scene needs four basic elements: An opening paragraph that sets the stage and transitions the reader as to time, place, and point-of-view; a point-of-view character with a goal and motivation to reach that...
Make-A-Story™ Monday - This Week's Writing Prompt
Writing to spec – you’ve heard the term. It means writing what the publisher wants. Can you do it? In our new feature - Make-A-Story™, we ask you to create a story with these elements. The story can be set in any time frame, any length, must adhere to our guidelines and have our standard Christian world...
Special Call for Submissions
PERMISSION TO FORWARD
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: WHITE ROSE PUBLISHING
& HARBOURLIGHT BOOKS
Pelican Book Group is seeking manuscripts to fill a special 2012
holiday release extravaganza. We are currently seeking novelette to
novella length stories (between 15,000...
Thursdays Tips: Take Advantage!
Take advantage!
Got your attention, didn’t I? Yes, take advantage. Not of people or contacts—of opportunities!!
So many times I find writers aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities that present in their stories (and/or in their writing lives). Here’s a list of opportunities you don’t want to...
Wednesday ~~~ Write the Vision
One of the most gruesome scenes of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy for me was at the beginning of the Battle for Minas Tirith where the army of Mordor returns the Gondorian prisoners. Via catapult. And it’s just their heads. I’ve often wonder if that scene, like many others in LOTR, was inspired by the...
Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self Editing
Conflict. Real life is filled with it, and personally we seem to always be trying to avoid calamity. In fiction, though, a story isn't worth telling unless your character is in turmoil. Readers live for conflict. A story without it isn't much of a story at all. Conflict is what makes the reader turn...
Make-A-Story™ Monday - This Week's Writing Prompt
Writing to spec – you’ve heard the term. It means writing what the publisher wants. Can you do it? In our new feature - Make-A-Story™, we ask you to create a story with these elements. The story can be set in any time frame, any length, must adhere to our guidelines and have our standard Christian world...
Pruning that Manuscript
This Christmas, I was gifted a beautiful Norfolk Pine—three feet tall, its branches spanning a goodly distance in all directions. After a few weeks, the branches started to dry out, needles began to adorn the floor instead of the plant. I didn’t understand why. I was very careful to follow all the rules...
Write the Vision ~ Wednesday
Write the Vision ~ WednesdayWriting a female heroine can be difficult, how soft should she be, how strong? When I began to write this blog, at first it was going to be "Taking Cues From Biblical Heroines," but I was sidetracked. All these pairs of women started popping out at me. I wished to spend...
Tactical Tuesday: Advice or Self-Editing
When self-editing, an author must check each scene to assure that their point-of-view character is properly motivated--striving toward a seemingly unattainable goal, or if the goal seems attainable, it needs to be taken out of the grasp of your character. Without an overriding desire, whether your heroine...
Make-A-Story™ Monday - This Week's Writing Prompt
Writing to spec – you’ve heard the term. It means writing what the publisher wants. Can you do it? In our new feature - Make-A-Story™, we ask you to create a story with these elements. The story can be set in any time frame, any length, must adhere to our guidelines and have our standard Christian world...
Thursday's Tips: The Value of a Scene
As you’re writing, and/or rewriting, ask yourself this very key question: what is the purpose of this scene? This issue may be more prevalent for seat-of-the-pants writers, but outliners can lose sight too. And if you lose sight, you might lose readers...
Scenes should:
• Advance the plot
• Bring...
What's in a Story?
Stories have changed my life. Having a very restricted childhood, I learned early on that reading was almost as good as doing. If not quite as exciting, definitely better than being bored. With books,...
Write the Vision ~ Wednesday
Taking a Cue from Scriptures-Biblical HeroesI have always loved to read about Joseph and his brothers. His life has been made in to plays and movies. He's an inspiration to all who read about him. From his ability to interpret dreams to his willingness to help his brothers who wronged him. To his unjust...
Resting in Jesus' Lap
The second week of December I went in for my annual mammogram. I've never had any problems and as far as I know there is no history of breast cancer in my family but so many women are diagnosed every day, that I'm grateful my insurance pays for a yearly exam.With the new digital imaging, there is no...
Make-A-Story™ Monday - This Week's Writing Prompt
Writing to spec – you’ve heard the term. It means writing what the publisher wants. Can you do it? In our new feature - Make-A-Story™, we ask you to create a story with these elements. The story can be set in any time frame, any length, must adhere to our guidelines and have our standard Christian world...
Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self-Editing
Scene development is an important aspect of a manuscript--too important for an author to leave off of his or her stylesheet. Over the next four weeks, we'll be taking a look at the elements that make for compelling scenes. Scene Development - Setting An author must consider that setting encompasses...
Write the Vision ~ Wednesday
You may ask, why is it Write the Vision Wednesday? The inspiration came from Habbakuk. Here is the passage-- Habakkuk 2:2-3 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end...
Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self-Editing
We continue our look at the mark of punctuation that puts music into your manuscript. Here are the last five rules for comma placement: Comma Rule #16: A comma follows the salutation in a personal letter or a complimentary close of your correspondence. Example: Dear John, I'm leaving you. Sincerely,...
Musings from my heart...
It's a new year! Don't you just love fresh starts and new beginnings? It's the one time of year where I sit down and take stock of what has been accomplished and what I'd like to see accomplished.This...
Make-A-Story™ Monday - This Week's Writing Prompt
Writing to spec – you’ve heard the term. It means writing what the publisher wants. Can you do it? In our new feature - Make-A-Story™, we ask you to create a story with these elements. The story can be set in any time frame, any length, must adhere to our guidelines and have our standard Christian world...
