Helping to Change the World…Word by Word
The Steve Laube Agency
Helping to Change the World Word by Word
We normally hear this song played by strings. But what if this segment of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” was played at hyperspeed by the brass section?
Enjoy today’s breathtaking feast!
[If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.]
HT: Chawna Schroeder
The “Your Questions Answered” Series __________ If an author asks his or her Facebook followers or blog readers for help in brainstorming, does the author owe anything if he or she uses an idea presented in that way? I have seen some do it as a contest. They’ll ask for ideas for the book title or a character’s name, and if they use one, they’ll give that person a free, signed …
The hit musical Hamilton has many memorable moments. One of my favorites is the moment when the title character first meets his colleague (and later, nemesis), Aaron Burr, who says, “Let me offer you some free advice.” “Talk less,” Burr says. “Smile more.” It’s a great character moment for the two characters. It reflects Burr’s slippery politician ways and foreshadows one of Hamilton’s fatal …
I spent the first 11 years of my career working in a local Christian bookstore. It was a huge learning experience. I like to say, “The Christian bookstore is the only place in town where there is an ecumenical meeting every day. But no ones knows about it!” Ours was a large store (12,000 square feet) and served nearly 500 churches. Recently, I heard it said that “bookstores are …
On March 1 a worship song called “The Blessing” was first introduced to the congregation at Elevation Church near Charlotte, North Carolina (written by members of their staff). A couple weeks later, during the coronavirus lockdown, a group of thirty churches in Pittsburg performed it on Easter Sunday in a virtual choir (you can find that version at this link). The song began to be sung …
The “Your Questions Answered” Series __________ I was wondering about debut novelists. I think sometimes readers (and writers) are under the misconception that debut novelists are signed with an agent or a publishing house with their first completed manuscript. But the more I read, listen, talk to other writers, I’m learning how rare it is for that to happen. Would you be able to compile an …
A couple months ago I asked some of my clients if there are terms they hear in writing and publishing that they wish someone would clearly and conclusively define. One said this: “Professionals say, ‘Find your voice,’ ‘Trust your voice,’ ‘Embrace your voice.’ I can recognize another writer’s voice, but I can’t for the life of me describe mine. Is ‘your voice’ something someone else has to describe …
One popular genre in Christian publishing right now is split-time fiction. Split-time fiction is when you tell two stories separated by time that are connected in some way, sometimes by a theme or an item. Some popular split-time books include The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck in the Christian market and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon in the secular market. While writing one story is hard, writing …
One popular genre in Christian publishing right now is split-time fiction. Split-time fiction is when you tell two stories separated by time that are connected in some way, sometimes by a theme or an item. Some popular split-time books include The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck in the Christian market and The Nightingale by Kristin […]
You can listen to this episode How to Write Split-Time Fiction …
It’s time to start that great novel you’ve been wanting to write for years. You have the story in mind and even the names of the main characters. But what about the other bit players in your story? What names do you give them? Some authors use relatives or childhood friends as fodder for ideas. Some just randomly choose names from a baby name book. Novelists know that names can often …
