If we can’t laugh at ourselves we are doomed. Enjoy today’s commercial break.
(Add new words or phrases in the comments below but don’t use any of them in your next writing project!)
Fun Fridays – July 15, 2016
Blog
What’s Wrong with my Book?
As you can imagine, we see hundreds of proposals and manuscripts each month. And, as you can also imagine, we must decline most. However, there are a few mistakes you can avoid to help your submission rise above others: Not beginning the story in the right place. All too often, an author will tell us about the main characters’ backgrounds before getting to the crux of the story, where the …
When You Must *Not* Wait
I shared, in a previous blog (“The Hardest Part of Being a Writer“), about the difficulty of waiting during the writing journey. Well, I’m happy to report that there is an area where you not only don’t have to wait, but you shouldn’t, and that’s building your audience through social media. I can’t tell you how many of the proposals we’ve seen in recent weeks that say something along …
Theological Accountability Partners
Just because an author is a mature Christian, doesn’t mean they are immune from writing something containing shaky theology. In an effort to craft compelling phrases and stories, orthodox theology can sometimes be a casualty of creativity or even carelessness. Most often it is entirely accidental. I referenced this issue in a post over a year ago. A significant function of a traditional Christian …
ICRS Observations 2016
On the last week of June Dan Balow and I attended the 2016 International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Cincinnati. It was my 35th consecutive year attending…which only means I’m old… By now you may have heard some reports regarding the low attendance, which are true. There were only 2,114 registered attendees, nearly a 30% drop from last year. Fortunately the convention hall …
Fun Fridays – July 8, 2016
Blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii plays his own composition at Carnagie Hall. The piece is titled “Elegy for the Victims of the Tsunami of March 11, 2011 in Japan.” Around the three minute mark you’ll see something very touching as he performs. Does your own writing move you?
What You May Not Know Before Going to a Conference
Have you ever been surprised by what you’ve learned at a conference? A couple of my meetings I’ve had over the years surprised me. To wit: Theology A few years ago, I interviewed a novelist at a fifteen-minute appointment. I read through her summary, and realized that the theological position of the story wouldn’t fit with most CBA houses. I made several suggestions on how to bring the story in …
The Dark Side of Silence
It took me a long time to be comfortable with silence. I am, in essence, a Golden Retriever crossed with an otter, so I’m all about fun, fun, fun! I gotta play, gotta move, gotta be in the middle of whatever is happening. Whee! Ain’t life a barrel of puppies?? But plunk me down to sit still and be silent? AAAHHHHH! I used to think I was alone in fidgeting when it got too quiet. As for flat-out …
Printing ≠ Publishing or Publishing > Printing
Getting publishing’ definitions wrong can cause a complete disconnect in a conversation. “How many books are you going to publish?” “Maybe about 50 per year.” “Huh? That’s all? Don’t some publishers do thousands at a time?” Or “How many books are you going to print this year?” “About a million” “Wow, how many people do you have working there?” When a book is manufactured, it’s called printing. …
Fun Fridays – July 1, 2016
Is this a metaphor for the writing life? If so, explain in the comments below. HT: Carol Ashby