Luke 2: 1-20 The Infancy Narrative In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up […]
Giving thanks
It’s a couple of days early, but the season is never wrong for giving thanks. I’ve seen a number of gratitude challenges online this year, and I think it’s a great trend. Last year at this time, I had just returned from the CWG biennial writers retreat in DeWitt, Michigan. I am […]
Transitions – How to get your character from here to there
One area of writing craft that doesn’t get a lot of attention is that of writing transitions. You’ve gotten to the end of a scene, or maybe just to the middle, and the characters need to move to a different location, or perhaps some time must pass. How do we […]
10 Steps to Indie Publishing
These are the best of times for authors—and possibly the worst of times! The changes in the publishing industry over the past five years are nearly as significant as the advent of the internet. In fact, the two developments are intertwined and build on each other. We all know traditional […]
Catholic Writers Conference, July 29-August 1, 2014
Headed for Catholic Writers Conference next week? Are you excited? You should be! Take a look at this photo to get a sense of the energy and opportunities that await! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put names and personalities to folks you’ve met online, to […]
Fortnight for Freedom: Freedom to Serve (and Love)
Fortnight for Freedom: Freedom to Serve The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has adopted this modifier—freedom to serve—for the third annual Fortnight for Freedom campaign. Most people are aware of the legal battles being waged in this country, and readers of this blog even more so. The intent of the current […]
Mind Your Manners! Etiquette Review for Writers Conference Success
First printed in 2012, these tips are conference etiquette are timeless. Substitute “Chicago” for “Texas” and you’ll know just what to do this summer. Headed for Catholic Writers Conference? Are you excited? You should be! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put faces and personalities […]
Cheerleading! Mutually Beneficial Author Support
There are a lot of us out there. Authors. With great books to share. Too often, though, we feel alone in our endeavors, trying to get readers to notice us in the roiling sea of other great books. This is a great time to be a writer! It’s more possible […]
The End: Sweet Words for an Author, Sweet Experience for a Reader
The end. Two of the most satisfying words a writer can tap onto a keyboard. We’ve all dreamed of typing those six letters, and many of us have been fortunate enough to have achieved that particular success. In my past few posts, we’ve discussed beginnings and middles. Let’s talk about […]
Books, and Toned Middles
Last month, I talked about beginnings and how important they are to drawing the reader in to your book. It seems appropriate to continue on to story middles today. Middles ought to be pretty simple. After all, it’s the stuff that happens between the beginning and the end. Many authors, however, struggle […]