When authors whose stories have impacted the world start talking, you better start listening! Enjoy the following collection of the best writing advice from top authors on fifteen important topics. Be instructed, and be inspired! 1. Beginnings Write a section or scene that comes before the place where your piece will begin, to help you become familiar […]
January 4, 2010 by 74 Comments Writing Life10 Habits of Successful Authors
Still haven’t made your New Year’s resolutions yet? The following list is an excellent place to start, whether you’re jumpstarting your writing career, or whether you’ve been writing for years and need to scrape off some rust. If, by the end of the year, you can cross the following habits of successful authors off your […]
December 23, 2009 by 5 Comments Writing Life10 Methods to Find More Time to Write
Time is a precious commodity in the life of a writer. Demands on our time come at us from every direction these days. We’re expected to market our work, hobnob on the Internet, maintain an active web presence, research, edit, clean the house, make meals, keep up with family and friends, buy groceries… and, oh, […]
December 6, 2009 by 61 Comments Writing LifeWhy You Should Write More Than One Genre
Think of a well-known author. Who’d you pick? Maybe you chose Stephen King, Janet Evanovich, John Grisham, or Nora Roberts? Whomever you chose, I’m willing to bet that when the name popped to mind so did a very definite sense of genre. Why Are Book Genres So Important? Each of the authors I mentioned is […]
November 10, 2009 by 102 Comments Writing LifeTop 6 Reasons Readers Stop Reading
Ever wonder what a novel’s nightmares would look like, if it could dream? Naturally, I can only guess. But I’d say the spine-tingling fear of being put down is probably at the top of the list. When reader stop reading, poke their bookmark in between the pages, stretch, yawn, and drop the novel back on […]
September 27, 2009 by 26 Comments Writing LifeWhy Somebody Is Certain to Hate Your Book–and How You Can Deal With It
Anyone who doubts the subjective nature of art need look for persuasion no farther than Amazon’s review pages. For instance, Stephen R. Lawhead’s Hood received opinions varying from the effusive Lawhead at his best. and Rip-roaring good story. to the insistent No real plot, resolution, or drama. and Slow, uninspired and pointless. How could the […]
September 20, 2009 by 23 Comments Writing LifeShould Authors Be Writing for a Specific Audience?
Authors write to be read. We write not only for ourselves, but to share our thoughts, our words, our stories with others. Unless we happen to be Emily Dickinson (whose work was never published during her lifetime), we inevitably realize our words will be read by someone other than ourselves (even if it’s only our […]
August 31, 2009 by 8 Comments Writing LifeHere Are 5 Methods That Are Helping Writers Stay Healthy
Writing isn’t the kind of job you’d expect to be hazardous. When all you do all day long is sit in a comfy chair at your desk and poke some keys from time to time, you’d think your body would respond beautifully to all this pampering. But, as any desk jockey of longstanding knows, desk […]
July 26, 2009 by 30 Comments Writing LifeScrivener Too Expensive? Try the Free Writing Software yWriter (Video Tutorial)
Over the years, I’ve dabbled with various writing software and have always found them wanting. I’d pretty much given up on the hope of finding a program that would meet my needs as a writer… and then someone at the ChristianWriters forums introduced me to yWriter. yWriter was designed by author and programmer Simon Haynes, […]
May 28, 2009 by 37 Comments Writing Life15 Reasons Not to Become a Writer (Or “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ernest Hemingway”)
Today, I’m guest posting over at the The Master’s Artist with the tongue-in-cheek tutorial on why being a writer may not be the best life decision: “15 Reasons Not to Become a Writer (Or ‘Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ernest Hemingway’)”. Excerpt: I suppose it’s possible that a few starry-eyed folks out there […]
