Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published
Many beginning writers mistakenly believe that the first draft of their book is also their finished book. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
Your draft is not even something you want to send to a professional editor—a writing coach, yes, but not a professional editor.
After the draft comes self-editing. But many writers seem confused about what this involves.
Let’s look at the basics of the process of self-editing.
[Read more…] about Your Draft Is Done, Now It’s Time for Self-Editing
The year is half over—as hard as that is to believe.
Now is a good time to review your goals and the progress you’ve made toward them.
I like to work in 90-day increments, so I set goals to be achieved within a 90-day period. (I also have long term goals I’m reaching for.) This 90-day period is much more achievable and [Read more…] about Stand Strong in the Message God Has Given You
In a recent survey of my blog subscribers, I asked how interested they were in learning about the business side of being an author. “Not at all, somewhat, or very.” Sixty-five percent said VERY.
So today is my first post focused entirely on being a business owner.
When you read the title of today’s post, how did you answer the question? [Read more…] about If You’re an Author, Are You a Business Owner?
Making time to write in our busy schedules is common to many writers, even moi. But our obstacles are more than just busyness or the day job.
Please welcome guest Jennifer Slattery as she discusses making time to write. Jennifer is a writer and international speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She’s the author of six contemporary novels and maintains a devotional blog. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.
Do you often find yourself overloaded and out of time? [Read more…] about Making Time to Write When It Feels You Have None to Give
Determination and application of lessons learned must be part of a writer’s repertoire. These occur behind the scenes in the daily grind of the writer’s life. Today, I bring you a guest post that shows us how that paid off for a new writer.
Earlier this year, I taught at Wordsower’s Christian Writers Conference 2018 (#WCWC2018). Many new writers often ask “why attend a conference?” A host of benefits can be gained:
The first night at WCWC2018 Dean Skoglund greeted me while I perused the conference bookstore. He was excited to tell me how much my critique of his work last year had helped and that he now had a published book. I did what lots of business owners do, [Read more…] about The Payoff for Determination and Application: How One Writer Did It
Last week I discussed the hero’s story goal in fiction, but if you write nonfiction, especially self-help, you may feel a story goal doesn’t relate to your book.
But story goals do relate to nonfiction in a way many people don’t realize.
People read nonfiction for various reasons, sometimes for the sheer entertainment, but often to learn and grow in a particular area.
More often than I can count, I’ve heard, “God has given me a book to write,” from my blog readers and from writers at conferences.
God has given you a message to share that will help others.
In writing that kind of nonfiction, the hero of your book is your target reader! They want to… [Read more…] about How the Hero’s Story Goal Equates to Nonfiction
Earlier this year I looked at 4 important elements in fiction writing. Here’s a quick review:
Today, I want to dive deeper into the hero’s story goal. [Read more…] about Your Hero’s Story Goal and the Problems in Obtaining It
The title of my devotional reading this morning was “Overcoming Giants.” The corresponding Bible reading was 1 Samuel 17:31–52. I encourage you to read it. It’s the story and David and Goliath, and “teaches believers that obstacles in our life are no match for God.
“Whether our Goliath is a relational challenge or an overwhelming situation, we must realize that the Lord is sovereign over everything in heaven and on earth, and He has the power to give us the victory” (Charles Stanley, In Touch, May 7, 2018). [Read more…] about Conquering Our Giants by Seeking and Trusting the Lord