Painting while singing “The Star Spangled Banner”…fantastic.
Blog
Why Some Readers Love the Antihero
Last week I wrote about information dumps, offering sketches of Valencia, Brad, and Joan. You might have noticed that all three fit the antihero characterization. They aren’t the type of people most of us would seek to spend much time with in real life. So why should they be in a book, particularly as main characters? According to Dictionary.com, an antihero is: …
Waiting for Perfect
Recently a friend and I walked on a beach in Oregon. All around us were countless treasures the tide had brought in and deposited in the sand. Rocks, shells, driftwood…so many beautiful, intriguing items to pick up and examine. I’ve always been a gatherer when I’m on the beach, collecting items to take home and put in my garden, remembrances of my visits. But my friend? She picked up as many …
Why Christian Memoirs Rarely Sell Well
It’s a mystery to many authors why Christian memoirs have such a difficult time finding their way in the book publishing market. In fact, this agency specifically states on our website “Guidelines” page that we aren’t looking for personal stories. If you want to share your Christian faith with another person, you tell them your story. But the very thing which is an effective tool for personal …
How Long Should You Wait for an Answer?
You have sent your project to an editor or an agent. Their guidelines state “We will respond within 6-8 weeks.” Do you mark your calendar on day 56 and send that person a query the minute the deadline passed? This past week one of my clients set a personal record for waiting. She was contacted by a magazine asking to publish a poem she submitted…in 1990. You read that right. …
Does Your Reader Want to be Dumped on?
A ridiculous question, right? Of course not! No one wants to be dumped on, much less your hapless reader. Besides, she’s not so hapless. She can exercise her right to close your book long before she reaches the end. By dumping on a reader, I mean an information dump. Here’s an example I just had fun making up: Valencia was beautiful and proud of it. Her auburn hair shone just so in the sunlight, …
An Author’s Journey
I wanted our agency client Scott Douglas LaCounte to guest-blog today because of the anniversary it represents (see below) and how God worked through the publishing process and journey to encourage a writer and his family. Scott is quite modest. He is the head librarian for the Southern California Institute of Technology. Years ago, he was a regular contributor to the popular Christian humor …
Announcing “The Christian Writers Institute”
I am very excited to announce the launch of The Christian Writers Institute! Come visit at www.christianwritersinstitute.com. Over three years ago I began thinking of the need for a place where writers could find the best teachers all in one spot. The idea percolated for awhile until this year when its development began in earnest. It is great to see it finally become a reality. This new online …
Fun Fridays – October 21, 2016
I want Dug to come to my house. But our cat might not appreciate a talking friend.