The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Debra

What Inspires Your Writing?

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As writers we all have a purpose for writing. We want to entertain, inform, persuade, or inspire. The passions in our own lives drive what we write.

You care about the environment so you may include a character in your book that feels the same.

You are politically minded so perhaps you write political thrillers.

As a Christian, my own beliefs and desire to tell people about God compel me to write Christian-based nonfiction and fiction.

Today’s interview is with a like-minded woman. Catherine Ulrich Brakefield’s newest book, Wilted Catherine Ulrich BrakefieldDandelions released today. Though fictional, Catherine has set her story in the midst of the Second Great Awakening, a time in our history when godly revival gripped the nation.

Let’s dive in and learn more about what inspired Catherine to write this book and her experiences with the story. [Read more…] about What Inspires Your Writing?

What Is Clean Writing?

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On Writing Well by William ZinsserDo you think best-selling authors like James Patterson, J.K. Rowling, and Jerry Jenkins sit down and produce that best seller with their first draft?

For some reason, many people believe this is how it happens. But that’s a myth.

“Submitting a novel without rewriting is like playing ice hockey naked.” ~Best selling author James Scott Bell in Revision and Self-Editing for Publication

Whether you are a seat-of-the-pants writer or one who plots first, the prevailing advice in writing your first draft is [Read more…] about What Is Clean Writing?

Nancy Kay Grace and The Grace Impact

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Nancy Kay GraceI’m visiting today with author Nancy Kay Grace. Nancy is speaker and author loves to share about embracing God’s grace in everyday life. She has contributed stories to several anthologies and published magazine articles.

Nancy is married to her best friend, Rick, who is a senior pastor in northwest Arkansas. They have served the Lord for more than forty years. Now they enjoy the stage of life with two married children and an increasing number of grandchildren. To learn more about her ministry, please visit NancyKayGrace.com.

Why did you write The Grace Impact? [Read more…] about Nancy Kay Grace and The Grace Impact

Discover what’s so great about Scrivener!

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Scrivener, Scrivener, Scrivener.

You’ve been hearing about it from a lot of writers, including me. In fact, I recently taught a workshop on using Scrivener at the Called to Write conference in Pittsburg, Kansas.

You may be wondering what’s so terrific about this software and why you should consider using it.

So let’s take a look at it. [Read more…] about Discover what’s so great about Scrivener!

The Top 3 Mistakes Writers Make When Submitting and How to Fix Them

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rejected book proposalDo you dream of getting published? What writer doesn’t?

But in their excitement and exuberance of completing a manuscript writers often make these 3 crippling mistakes when submitting their manuscripts to publishers.

The No. 1 Mistake

They don’t include a book proposal.

The book proposal is [Read more…] about The Top 3 Mistakes Writers Make When Submitting and How to Fix Them

Indie Publishing: Author Rachel Skatvold’s Perspective

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Author Rachel Skatvold
Author Rachel Skatvold

Today’s Friday Feature Author Interview is with Rachel Skatvold, author of the Riley Family Legacy novella series. Thank you, Rachel for allowing me to interview you and sharing your experiences with my readers.

What made you decide on novella length for your series? [Read more…] about Indie Publishing: Author Rachel Skatvold’s Perspective

Discover How Point of View Impacts Your Story

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little girl looking through paper towel roll
Encourage your children’s creativity.

How much thought do you give to point of view (POV) as you begin a new story?

The best POV for your story is not always the protagonist or even the antagonist. Consider how different the book To Kill a Mockingbird would have been if told from Atticus’ POV. Or Gone with the Wind from Ashley’s POV.

To help you experiment, here’s a writing exercise.

[Read more…] about Discover How Point of View Impacts Your Story

Piracy of Your Ebooks

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Piracy not allowed signThis past Saturday I discovered a website offering my newest ebook, Carried by Grace, for free.

What a shock! Piracy of my ebooks is something I never expected.

It’s bad enough getting robbed at home (a 4-time occurrence for me, ugh), but now people are attempting to rob me online. Hackers and thieves—I dare not get started on that topic.

This particular site offered quite a number of other ebooks for free download. Though I can’t say for sure, I suspect I was not his/her only victim.

I immediately looked for [Read more…] about Piracy of Your Ebooks