All posts in category For Authors

His Perfect Timing 10/9/2020

by Carol Nemeth As an author who began writing as a teenager, I was confident I would get published early too. After all, my love of writing was every bit as heartfelt and important as any other author’s. Right? No doubt true, my love of writing certainly couldn’t guarantee publication. It wasn’t until our second child was […]

Share Button

The Publishers that Prey – A word of caution about vanity presses

by Parker J. Cole Earlier this month, I received a call from a vanity press.  I’m not sure how they got my name, but I figure they’re another arm of Westbow Press which I published my first book under. At that time, I spent about three thousand dollars on them listing my book on different websites.   Nothing else. I KNOW […]

Share Button

Do Authors Have a Responsibility to Their Audience? 9/11/2020

by Shawn Lamb Since I write primarily for young adults, I am frequently asked about the content of my books. Is there anything inappropriate? Relationships? Language? Unbiblical concepts? This has led to innumerable discussions at events with concerned parents, and young people, who are particular about what they read. The type of event doesn’t […]

Share Button

Hero, Villain, or Somewhere In-Between? 7/10/2020

by Shawn Lamb The typical writing course talks about protagonists and antagonists almost in a black-and-white contrast with very little gray areas. It is true that villains should be complex, yet the more one wants to prove a point, the more dramatic they tend to create the contrast between hero and villain. In […]

Share Button

Setting the Scene

by Carmen Peone You know how multifaceted writing a novel can be.   Not only do writers have to create 3-dimensional, compelling characters who pursue high-stake goals, you have to do it using enough tension and conflict to keep readers turning every page until the end.      For a full-length novel, all of that needs to be tucked into well-developed scenes that […]

Share Button

Metaphorically Speaking

by Carmen Peone Metaphors extend familiar names and pair them with new objects. In metaphor there is a transfer of meaning. The Greek word from which metaphor originates from means “to transfer.” Hence a ray of sunshine cuts despair (as though it were a knife); a woman weaves through life (as cedar bark is woven to […]

Share Button

Ten Tips to Turn Your Writing into Clear Communication 2/21/2020

by Carmen Peone I’ve come to realize writing is nothing more than clear communication whether the piece is fiction and non-fiction. While one may offer a form of entertainment, the other explains or persuades. However, to be effective both types of writing must effectively connect reader to story.   My first tip is to think reader first. Mentors like […]

Share Button

Show and Tell 9/27/2019

by Suzanne D. Williams Don’t tell me the story. Show me the story. Too often people read this rule and focus all their attention on how to break it. That’s like climbing backwards up a waterfall – entirely the wrong method. Instead, worry about when and how to break the rule when you understand how to use […]

Share Button

I Write Romance

by Suzanne D. Williams I am the last person who should be writing romance novels. I suppose I’m sentimental, and that lends itself to the genre. But honestly, when I sat down to write fiction, I never gave a thought to there being any romance in it. As a teen, I read long […]

Share Button

What I Wish Someone Told Me

by Suzanne D. Williams I got it into my head to write fiction one afternoon, and I wish someone had sat me down and given me “the talk.” I’m not sure I would have listened. Anyone enthusiastic about a new project goes deaf, at first. You know how it is, you become an expert inside of […]

Share Button