Writing Tips
Don’t Always Say What You Mean, But Always Mean What You Don’t Say
Really. I mean it. Go ahead and subtext, already! Subtexted dialogue can be one of the most powerful elements in a storyteller’s arsenal. This is the art of talking around the subject, rather than head on, in order to intensify the meaning of the part that isn’t said. Sometimes it’s actually having your characters say…
A Tribute
Earlier tonight I was thinking about how critical support is to dreaming. Without my husband’s consistent and demonstrated support, I wouldn’t be writing. It would be an ember of a dream rather than a reality. Every time I would think about writing, start fixating on the hunger to do something special with words, my husband…
Tough Love
I’ve tried it all from authoritative discipline to non-punitive parenting, and I can say for certainty. Nothing works! At least with my kids. The back talk and arguing from my little WIPs have pushed me over the edge many more times than I care to count. The other morning we were having a discussion about…
No Fast Road to Publication
Many published authors have a story of how ultimately it took fate or divine intervention to get published. Everyone needs a foot in the door, so it seems, and all the powers that be must come together at just the right moment to create the much coveted Writing Contract. As writers who are also Christians,…
Carnival of Christian Writers #6 March 2007
It’s carnival time! This month’s carnival is sure to entertain and inform. So please keep your hands and feet inside at all times and buckle up for your safety. Enjoy the ride… Editor Mick Silva shares Conference Do’s and Don’ts at Your Writers Group. Novelist and professional organizer Cyndy Salzmann at The Packrat Chronicles shares…
Pens Should Be Mightier than Toilet Plungers
Martin Espada wrote this advice to young poets in The Republic of Poetry, but it applies to all writers, Christian bloggers included. Advice to Young Poets Never pretend to be a unicorn by sticking a plunger on your head. Let me just extract a few editorial lessons here. 1) “Never pretend.” Good words are always…
Staying on Target: Chapter after Chapter
“Why is that lady shooting a bow and arrow?” my youngest son asked me yesterday, holding my copy of Heather Sellers’ Chapter after Chapter. “Because she’s aiming for a target,” I told him. “But where’s the target? I can’t see it.” He turned the book over and looked at me puzzled. “Well, she’s writing a…
Get Your Motivations in Order
Hi, Jill Elizabeth Nelson again, your first Tuesday of the month blogger. And no, this isn’t a blog about searching your soul. It’s about searching your manuscript to get those tricky MRUs lined up and save your reader potential confusion. (Also, no, this isn’t a medical blog. I said MRU, not MRI. 😉 ) The…
Visit the Carnival!
If you haven’t read through the carnival posts yet, take the time to read and comment on these great posts! And don’t forget to tell them you found them via the carnival!
Books as Writing Teachers
It’s nice to be well-read. A good way to talk with your editor about a book you are working on is to reference another book that employs a literary device particularly well. I know it might sound daunting, but really it’s not. Let yourself read and don’t take it too seriously. Read for fun and…