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Learn How to Write Good/Well
There’s no perfect approach when you decide to learn how to write a novel. When baseball and softball players train to bat, they ask for various pitches to expand their hitting ability. If all they prepared for was a fastball down the middle, the batter could only hit when pitches were strikes over the plate. The same is true when learning to write a book. You’ll fully develop your skillset if you learn how to write from various sources. I’ve included a few ways to learn your craft and stay relevant to your writing. Change how you educate yourself to fit your needs in response to your life circumstances. The…
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How to Never Bore Your Readers
There is deeper magic in a novel that keeps the reader from boredom—secondary additions to your plot line. These work with any genre.
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Writing Groups and The Writer
IdaHope Christian Writers has a writing group that comes together quite often to read, write, and fellowship. Why do established, mainstream authors suggest all writers join a writing group? Stay in a writing group, don’t give up, contribute, and you may be fortunate to find yourself like the man in the following joke: He pulled up to the charred ruins of his home. Smoke still drifted from the possessions they spent years accumulating. She stood out front, a pan of burned biscuits in her hand, a cell phone in the other. She sobbed. “I’m sorry. I put biscuits in the oven. The phone rang. It was your agent. And then…
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The Novelist Entertainer
Jerry Jenkins once told me the number one rule of the novelist is never to bore the reader. As a novelist, you have one job—to entertain. “Yet,” someone may point out, “I’m a Christian novelist.” Indeed, you are. And to bring forward a good Christian moral is vital, to offer a moral of hope and redemption. However, you can’t bring forward a moral if no one will read your book. “I’m American,” some might add. “My Puritan background means seriousness is a Fruit of the Spirit. How does that jive with entertainment?” Ah, a dilemma. How do we make a morality tale entertaining? Look to the Bible. Literally. You can’t…
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Garlic Ice Cream and the Novelist
Niche means “a specialized market,” and your novel fills a niche. Let’s look at how best to understand your niche. I have a dream. A three-course meal should consist of an appetizer entirely of ice cream, followed by the main course—ice cream, followed by ice cream for dessert. To see if my dream is a viable dietary option, I checked online health sites. On day two or three of the ice cream diet, you’ll probably develop an intolerance to lactose. Day four or five, afib. And after a full week of ice cream, you’re on a straight road toward diabetes. And extreme dehydration and/or constipation. We’re going to need to…
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The Writer / Advocator: Confidence Tips
Every successful novelist has had to do something very distasteful before they were published. They had to advocate for themselves. If you’re the typical writer, being assertive makes you scream inside. A few years ago, a writer told me he could quickly sell two hundred books at a sale. “Hand the person your book. Then he or she will HAVE to either buy it or hand it back to you.” He handed me his book and I read the back cover. “Looks good.” “And now…” He drew out the last word and crossed his arms. “It’s only fifteen dollars.” I tried to hand back his book, but there was a…
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Grit for Breakfast: The Writer’s Choice
You’re writing and on top of the world. Words flow smoothly and you’re the best writer, ever. Then, something happens...
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CHAPEL OF THE SACRED BRAMBLE
Like a wary desert leopard, the monastery crouched halfway up Mount Sinai’s rocky slope. Judas eyed the rugged peak and wondered if those who built the hermitage thought they would somehow protect Moses’ sacred encounters with Jehovah. The full moon hovered just above the barren mountain, casting a silver glow against the monastery wall and the noiseless structures contained within.
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Overcoming Doubt: The Writer’s Joy
The novel writer’s journey comes with doubt. What if they don’t like my story? What if I’m not a good writer? Sometimes the concerns attack like a chihuahua nipping at your ankles. At other times, it feels as if a wolf pack is hunting you down. Even a seasoned novelist who is about to launch their 80th novel feels trepidation. There are two major issues about these feelings. Imagining troubles ahead is often a problem. You’re borrowing the possibilities of tomorrow to disrupt the flow of today. And yet, these emotions of doubt are real. That’s why the Bible gives us a powerful prescription on how to deal with these…
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So You Want To Be A Writer
Every journey begins with the first step. If your shoelaces are tied together, the first step may result in a tumble, injury, and a lifetime of medical bills. Tied shoelaces are not the best way to begin a journey. So, you want to be a writer. Where do you begin? How do you keep from tripping over your own feet? Think of the word write as a noun (I’m a writer!) and then as a verb (I write). The Writer: Now Write: Writing is a bit like jogging. Your first run may feel a bit more elegant than it looks to the observer. Who cares? Write. Then do it again…
