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Character vs. Plot With DiAnn Mills

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on June 23, 2020

She is a bestselling author who has won two Christy Awards and been a finalist for the RITA, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol Award contests. She is also a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and codirector of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Welcome, DiAnn Mills.

Links:

DiAnnMills.com
DiAnnMills.com/sketch
The Dance of Character and Plot (Affiliate Link)

The post Character vs. Plot With Dianne Mills appeared first on Christian Publishing Show.

Character vs. Plot With DiAnn Mills

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on June 23, 2020

Some novelists see themselves as character-first writers. Others start with the plot. Which is better? Does it depend on the genre? Could you be making a mistake that is crippling your writing? Our guest today will help us answer these questions and more. She is a bestselling author who has won two Christy Awards and […]
You can listen to this episode Character vs. Plot With DiAnn Mills on …

Category: The Writing Life

10 Haughty Author Commandments That Agents Must Obey

By Steve Laubeon June 22, 2020

Composed with tongue firmly in cheek. Send to yours and maketh your agent weepeth. 10 Haughty Author Commandments That Agents Must Obey I. Thou shalt have no other authors before me. II. Thou shalt adore all my ideas and declare them holy. III. Thou shalt personally guarantee my financial success. IV. Thou shalt send me to Bora Bora on my birthday and send a wad o’ cash at Christmas. V. Thou …

Category: Agents, Humor

Fun Fridays – June 19, 2020

By Steve Laubeon June 19, 2020

The creativity here is stunning. Who would have thought? [If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.]

Category: Fun Fridays

Responding to Criticism

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 18, 2020

When someone tells me she’s not sure she wants me to read her manuscript, I know she’s not ready for publication. Such sentiment shows a lack of confidence and a fear of both rejection and criticism. Even though readers usually treat writers with respect, a critical word can puncture the heart.

Imagine the wounds delivered on Internet sites such as Amazon from readers who lack that respect. A …

Category: Book Business, Career, Social Media, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Criticism, Rejection, Writing Craft

The Best Ways to Submit Your Work

By Bob Hostetleron June 17, 2020

I started writing for publication back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The process was fairly simple then, if unpromising of success. I wrote a query, article, or book proposal, put it into an envelope along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for its return, sealed it, and mailed it. And waited. And waited. And—you get the idea. That’s not how it’s done anymore. At least, not often. …

Category: Book Proposals, Pitching

The Industry Changes but Seems Unchanged

By Steve Laubeon June 15, 2020

I recently came across an article I had saved from 2004 predicting “Book Trends 2005” by Sally E. Stuart in an issue of Advanced Christian Writer newsletter. Reading through the article makes one realize how different things are but also how much they are still the same! Isn’t that a paradox? To rattle your brain a little, when that article was published, Google was only six …

Category: Book Business, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Theology, Trends

Fun Fridays – June 12, 2020

By Steve Laubeon June 12, 2020

Will you take a “fun break” with me today? Maybe a smile can help a smidgen. Can’t go wrong with a silly barbershop quartet performance. [If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.]

Category: Fun Fridays

Back to Basics

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 11, 2020

I live in an area with strict stay-at-home orders because of the pandemic. Over the past weeks, I’ve learned much. Last year I was touched by a CBS news segment about a girl who grants the wishes of nursing home patients. They don’t want the status symbols younger people can crave, but simple items such as cola and fresh fruit. The segment felt abstract to me last year. Now that I rarely indulge …

Category: Personal

Multigenre Writing: Good or Bad Idea?

By Bob Hostetleron June 10, 2020

One of this blog’s readers recently directed the following question to me: You’ve been a successful writer in several genres. Is that possible for someone starting out today? I could debate the accuracy of the adjective “successful,” but I’ll let that slip for now. It’s true that I have written and published books in a variety of genres (I was a writer long before becoming an agent and …

Category: Career, Creativity, The Writing Life