It’s been years. She’s desperate; her money gone, her health still declining. She has no hope, no relief and wellness seems to be an impossibility. Doubled over, in a crowd that is abuzz on the dusty streets she becomes part of the mayhem and a crazy idea flickers in her […]
Art and Faith, as They Intersect in Writing
We recently observed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Fortnight of Freedom, and this might be a good time to look at writing as an expression of our journey and expression of faith. Regular readers of this blog are most likely members of Catholic Writers Guild – which means […]
Critique – Tips on how to do it well
Critique – a word that often scatters writers like a firecracker tossed into a flock of sparrows! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Since critique groups are forming in the Catholic Writers Guild forums, this is a good time to talk about critique, namely, how to be a […]
The Value of Face-to-Face
I love how the internet and the media-that’s-not-really-“new”-anymore has opened many doors and windows in my life. I’ve made friends who are not virtual in any way, though miles may separate us. We drink our coffee via Twitter, share joys via email, follow each other’s lives via blogs. We ask […]
Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh, my! Tension, Conflict, and Suspense – Creating Compelling Stories
One of the most fundamental techniques of fiction writing is skillful creation of tension, sometimes referred to as conflict. Our favorite authors hook us on page one with a character so compelling that we read further to find out what happens. The character is engaging, with likeable traits that endear […]
Remember Your Priorities
Last week, during the Catholic Writers Conference Online, I was reminded of something that I’m going to just go ahead and remind you of, too. Because you know what? We all need to hear this. Remember your priorities. You are Catholic first, everything else second. That means your big-V vocation–spouse, parent–comes […]
Being Comfortable with Small
I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am a Small Fry Blogger. Chances are, so should you. Maybe there’s a chance we’ll be discovered and hit the Big Time. We may or may not make a pile of money because of that, but we’ll be Known. People will ask […]
Tips for New Writers from Veronica Maria Jarski
1. Please give a big thanks to Veronica Maria Jarski for her work here in the Beginning Writers column over the past several months. 2. Please pray for her as she takes a sabbatical from the CWG blog to deal with a family emergency. We have a handful of other […]
Picture It! by John McNichol
[Editor’s Note: This is John McNichol’s first column for our Catholic Fiction Saturdays. John blogs at Young Chesterton Chronicles, and is the author of The Tripods Attack and The Emperor of North America, both now available in e-book format at Amazon. He is currently working on the third installment in […]
"You talk like you was there."
Hearing voices in your head can be a good thing. At least it can be if you’re a writer. One of the three legs of a good story is characterization. Three things paint the character’s portrait for the reader: description, action, and dialogue. The first is usually the easiest for […]