By Kristin Faith Evans @AuthorKristinEv The pitching process can sometimes seem like a never-ending battle. Have you ever felt this way? I have. But when discouragement attempts to win, I go back to God’s Word over and over. Are you seeking confidence and direction in your writing career? I encourage…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Three successful novels and now a fourth on the way. What if I disappointed this time? Fear rose, and my self-confidence hit rock bottom. Suddenly, I lost my ability to put a story together. The first chapter came to me but, after that – what? Other…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky Charles Baxter, in Burning Down the House, Essays on Fiction, devotes an entire chapter to a principle he calls “Stillness.” To paraphrase a rather lengthy and well documented argument, he proposes that stillness, a moment in fiction where action subsides and characters/narrators focus on the minutiae of their…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin While many people are publishing books (over 4,500 new books every day, including the self-published books), the competitive nature of this work is rarely discussed. Editors and agents get pitches and proposals from many different authors. What are some of the difference makers that every author…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin From my earliest days as a journalist, I love to write a good story. Our world is filled with an infinite number of these stories. Someone must put their fingers on the keyboard and write these tales—whether true or created. An unfortunate aspect of the world…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky Ever met someone who plays the perpetual victim? Doesn’t much matter what happens to them, they spin events in such a way that they become the victim, either of other people’s actions, perceived actions, thoughts, fate, or cosmic events. I find it pretty tough to relate…