Many novel writers create mini-biographies (or longer than that) of their characters. We should at least know the background of our characters, to help give them depth and to understand why they act the way they do (it doesn’t necessarily need to be in the book, of course).
The story of someone’s life can be quite fascinating – and can, like our fictional characters, help us understand how people turned out how they did – why they took certain actions.
My son [...]
Click here for the first four contenders
One of the most popular parts of FaithWriters is the Writing Challenge, and one of the most eagerly awaited days in the FaithWriters’ year is July 1, when the winner of the Writing Challenge Best of the Best is announced.
The first place entry from each of the 36 Writing Challenge topics between July 2011 and June 2012 are all in contention. Only one, however, will be selected as THE Best of the [...]
The Truth in Fiction
by Mona Hodgson
Many of my closest friends are liars. But they might prefer the title storyteller extraordinaire. Tale-weavers. And whether the literary yarn they spin is set in an actual place or based upon real life events and historical characters, they are authors of fiction. I am too. And as novelists, we have chosen to write fiction, not fact. But even so, is the story we weave truly and completely made up?
Not the best stories. All [...]
A steering wheel is certainly not my favorite writing desk, but a couple years ago, it seemed to be my most common one.
Don’t worry—you wouldn’t find me writing the great American novel as I drive along the interstate at 60 plus miles per hour. I don’t even jot down notes as I motor along a heavily trafficked street at a snail’s pace. I am a bad enough driver without distractions like that. No need to endanger the population any more [...]
One of the most popular parts of FaithWriters is the Writing Challenge, and one of the most eagerly awaited days in the FaithWriters’ year is July 1, when the winner of the Writing Challenge Best of the Best is announced.
The first place entry from each of the 36 Writing Challenge topics between July 2011 and June 2012 are all in contention. Only one, however, will be selected as THE Best of the Best, and awarded $300. Second place will receive [...]
Five Tips for Stronger Writing
By Jennifer Slattery
As an editor-for-hire working under Tiffany Colter, I see a lot of writing—good writing, beginning writing, and all stages in between. I’ve learned, most often, strong books and stories are but a few tweaks away. Today I’ll offer a few freebies—some snippets I share with paying clients—on how to take your writing from good to great.
1. Give your reader credit.
As writers, we want to make sure our reader understands what [...]
As we write as Christians, some of our efforts often involve spreading God’s Word, and the Christian worldview, to the secular world. One way of doing this is to write articles with a biblical perspective and submit them to secular publications.
The Amy Foundation’s purpose is to encourage just this kind of influence in the mainstream media. As FaithWriters explores the possibility of working together with this group, we’d like to share with you FaithWriters a bit more about this organization, [...]
DEBORAH RANEY’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers’ Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. After All, the newest book in her Hanover Falls Novels series, releases in May from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. They [...]
Therapeutic Writing
By Jeannie Campbell, LMFT
Every novel is a part of you.
No, I don’t mean in some philosophical sense that they each hold a place in your heart. I mean literally. Pieces of you—quirks, pet peeves, life experiences—are in your novels.
An unforgettable cab driver you had while on vacation pops up in a city scene. A teacher you had in junior high reappears in your YA. Your own affinity for caramel popcorn becomes a charming addiction for a main [...]
Some love him. Some hate him. Almost everyone has read (or seen a movie of) something he’s written. His plays have been performed more often than those of any other playwright.
And today is the anniversary of his birth – AND death (though his birth date is not absolutely certain). William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, was presumed born April 23, 1564 (he was baptized April 26, and apparently three days after birth was customary [...]
