From Soup to Nuts
© 2013 Tracy Crump One mistake authors make in trying to write for Chicken Soup for the Soul and other anthologies is covering too much ground. Chicken Soup wants short stories, not…
Why I Can’t Write Now
© 2013 Judy Sliger I have cancer. I have recurrent ovarian cancer. I have recurrent ovarian cancer, and I’ve been on chemo over ten months. The chemo—at best—is barely slowing…
Using Food to Create an Appetite for Your Novel
© 2012 Alice J. Wisler "One cannot think well, live well, sleep well, if one has not dined well," wrote Virginia Woolf. That quote grabbed me, and I used it…
Why Journal?
© 2012 Shirley Corder When I was a child, my mother gave me a diary every Christmas. As an adult, I bought myself one almost every year. I really don't…
The Story Behind the Story
© 2012 Patrick E. Craig In late 2010, I read a blog by Nick Harrison, a senior editor at Harvest House Publishers, whom I had met at the Mt. Hermon…
Will You Make a Difference?
April 2012 © 2012 Marlene Bagnull My seven-year-old granddaughter was here today. We had a long talk about how she disobeyed her mother yesterday, screamed no, and stuck out her…
The Intentional Reader
© 2011 Bob Hostetler Louis L’Amour once said, “A writer’s brain is like a magician’s hat. If you’re going to get anything out of it, you have to put something…
Bread-and-Butter Writing
© 2011 Leslie Rowe Convert your skills to cash by writing for the marketplace The electric bill spiked and your pantry looks paltry. When writing is your passion but eating…
Four Surprising Lessons
© 2011 Dennis E. Hensley Someone sent me an email recently with the header, “Twenty Classic Novels You’ve Probably Never Read.” Since I consider myself to be a well-read person…
Source of Endless Story Ideas
© 2011 Marilyn H. Collins Family stories provide a wealth of original plot ideas. Settings are familiar, characters come complete with emotions or conflicts, and protagonists/antagonists are ready made. Our…