Let’s kick off the Advent season with this delightful song about the genealogy of Jesus Christ found in Matthew chapter one.
Fun Fridays – December 7, 2018
Author Steve Laube
Writers Expect Good News
Writers expect good news…any day now. Is it the curse of eternal optimism?There is this hope within each writer that it will be their manuscript that is chosen for publication. And the money will rain on them like a spring shower.
Despite the odds.
Despite the competition.
Despite the cynical, horrible, no-good, very-bad agents who review them.
Expectations
Are these expectations realistic? Of course they are. It is the essence of hope. For without hope there is no reason to continue the pursuit of the craft. You have to believe that you have what it takes.
Are these expectations practical? Of course not. Who said the writing profession was “practical?”
Fun Fridays – November 30, 2018
On this last day of November, watch this amazing video of a Rube Goldberg Machine (click for a definition) using marbles and rubber bands. The creator says it took him a week to build and film with 40 failures before it finally worked. Writer metaphor: How many failures will you …
How Much Can I Quote From Another Source Without Permission?
Remember you can use the big red button at the bottom right-hand column of this blog page to ask us questions. (It is titled “Ask a Question.”) Question: “I don’t have a ton of quotes in this manuscript. Any I do are short—maybe a sentence. What’s your take on the …
Fun Fridays – November 23, 2018
The idea of spending the day after Thanksgiving with shopping is going to the dogs. Here is video proof… A complete waste of your time to watch. But I hope it brought a smile to your face today! I especially liked the drive-thru scene…
Popular Story Tropes in Current Fiction
When we think of fiction, we put books in genres based on the story line. Then within each genre, they are separated by subgenres. The Book Industry Study Group has defined over 100 different classifications of fiction. These BISAC codes are what you find on the back of the book. …
Fun Fridays – November 16, 2018
Go to the website below and select the year you were born (or any year for that matter). Time Traveler – Mirriam-Webster The results will show you the words and phrases that were first used in that year. Fascinating fun! For my mom, it is words like air traffic controller, …
Veterans Day – 100th Anniversary
Today, November 11, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day. Originally known as Armistice Day, it was set to honor the end of World War I, which happened on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It became a legal holiday in the …
Fun Fridays – November 9, 2018
Today’s video is designed to make you think more deeply about art. Especially the intentionality of great art. Understanding the use of light and shadow, which directs your eye when looking at art, can help you view book-cover design in a new way. Bad cover designs make you look at …
Announcing “The Christian Publishing Show”
We are very excited to announce the launch of a new feature. “The Christian Publishing Show” podcast hosted by Thomas Umstattd Jr. Each week we will have a new 20-minute podcast for you to listen to online or with any device you’d like to use. Podcasts are a different way …