Today’s video is a dad, Ben Moseley, singing to his newborn daughter. Too precious for words.
Fun Fridays – October 18, 2019
It’s All About the Plot
Last week we discussed characters portrayed in a sympathetic light. Another type of plot relies less on the character being sympathetic, but the reader is engaged because the plot itself is intriguing enough to keep reading. For instance, books can: Solve a murder. Some authors make plenty of money with …
A Writer’s Evening Prayer
A Writer’s Evening Prayer (based on “An Evening Prayer” by C. Maud Battersby) __________ If I have failed to heed your voice today, If I have driven any of your thoughts away, If I have written my own willful way: Dear Lord, forgive! If I have written idle …
046 A Christian Author’s Guide to Getting an Agent with Bob Hostetler
Here are the show notes for the most recent episode of the Christian Publishing Show. You can listen to this episode here. Literary agents: what are they? What do they do? Do you even need one? And how do you get one? Joining us today to talk about this …
Down Under
By the time this blog is posted I should be nearing home after spending the weekend with a wonderful group of Australian and New Zealand writers at a retreat center in Mulgoa, Australia (approximately an hour’s drive west of Sydney) for The Omega Christian Writers Conference. I had the privilege …
Fun Fridays – October 11, 2019
Today’s video is an inspiration. There is creativity inside us all because we are made in the image of God. Watch and be inspired to persevere in your craft. Thanks to Barbara Diggs for suggesting today’s Fun Friday!
Writing Sympathetic Characters
Have you ever stopped reading a novel because you didn’t like or weren’t interested in the characters or you couldn’t muster enough caring about them to stick with them for 300 pages? Here are a few tips to try to keep this reaction from happening to your readers: 1. Portray …
Still More Carrots and Sticks
Several weeks ago, I posted some of the responses I received from some of my favorite writers (who are also clients) to the question, “Do you motivate yourself to write with a ‘carrot’ (reward) or a ‘stick?’” I was fascinated by the volume and variety of the responses, the last …
045 How to Avoid the #1 Cause of Bad Book Covers: Design by Committee
Here are the show notes for the most recent episode of the Christian Publishing Show. You can listen to this episode here. Today we are going to talk about design. This is an important topic and not one many people in the publishing industry have formal training in. Just …
Always Be Learning
During the Summer of 1978 the #1 hit on Christian radio was the classic “He’s Alive” by Don Francisco (click here to listen). That same Summer I attended a Christian music festival in Estes Park, Colorado and decided to take a class on songwriting being taught by Jimmy and Carol Owens. I settled into my chair near the back of the room with notepad ready.
Just as the class was about to start a bearded man slide in the chair next to mine….notepad at the ready. To my astonishment it was Don Francisco. (I recognized him from his album cover.)
Here was a singer/songwriter who had the number one hit in the nation…taking a class on songwriting! What did he think he needed to learn?