Craft
Battle of the Bulge
It’s a battle I’ve been waging all my life and while I’m not 100 lbs over weight, even twenty extra pounds on my 5ft. 3 1/2 inch frame manifests itself in more junk in the trunk and ship-like hips, then I care to carry. I’ve never been really good at dieting. Who wants to deprive…
Why I write category series books?
I have been writing for Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired line since 2000 and have enjoyed creating over nineteen Love Inspired and eleven Love Inspired Suspense books, some still to come out in 2009 and 2010. Writing for a category inspirational romance publisher has challenged me and helped me to grow as a writer. I’ve learned…
Love Languages
Since this is the month of love and Valentine’s Day, I decided to post about Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages, which I recommend to read. I read an interesting book about the language of love we use. In the book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman was insightful and interesting. But most…
10 Things I Wish I Had Known by DiAnn Mills
1. Research doesn’t mean a jaunt to the library or sailing through cyberspace. It means a trip into your characters’ lives. 2. Some critics are like boo birds that sit on their lofty power lines and crap (mess) on those beneath them. 3. When I grow up, I will know the difference between lie and…
Dead in Christ?
Are you a dead man walking? My girls and I are studying leaves in Botany this week. It’s more fascinating than you’d think! For instance, in the fall, when leaves exchange their bright greens for autumn hues of red, orange, and yellow…those colors are actually the true color those leaves were all along. The chlorophyll…
Holding on Loosely
I’m someone who likes to make plans. I like to know when I’m doing something, how long it will take, and what’s coming next. I don’t like surprises. But one thing this bout with cancer has taught me is to hold on to my plans with a loose grip. James 4:13-15 says, Now listen, you…
Free Online Program for Tracking Your Submissions
I just signed up for this cool free online program where I can keep track of all my submissions, word counts on manuscripts, publishers, etc. It even gives graphs of your writing progress. I’m still learning about it, but wanted to share. Anyone else use this site? Check it out: http://www.luminarypub.com/services/writersdb/
What are you passionate about?
Your husband? Hopefully. Your kids? Yes. God. YES! What about the stuff you do in your daily life? Can you honestly say you’re following your passions? This is a quote from Debbie Macomber’s book Knit Together. If you haven’t read it, you should. I highly recommend it. It’s about Debbie’s journey to becoming a NY…
Emote!
People read fiction for one thing above all else–emotion. They want to laugh, cry, get warm fuzzies, be surprised, be scared, be so scared they pee their pants! The problem is that too many times writers don’t DELVE into their emotions. They say, “Clark was angry.” or “Clara was excited.” Well, so what? Those are…
Handling the Big Rejection
Q: How do you handle rejection? A: Before or after I stick pins in my eyes and swallow hot coals? No, of course I don’t do that. I usually shave my head, exchange my clothes for sackcloth, and spend days of solitary isolation sitting on a heap of ashes. Okay, seriously, unfortunately, rejection is a…