I never used to sign up for anything. I was a scrooge when it came to subscribing and downright anti-social on social media. Why would a ‘successful’ creative care what lil old me had to say to them? I thought. It wasn’t until I became an author I understood just how misguided that attitude was. …
Continue reading “Writers Life | Seven ways to encourage an author to write more books”
The bad boy hero is a popular and polarising trope in the romance genre. I’ve learned that Christian romance readers tend to either love or hate the bad boy heroes. Why is the bad boy hero appealing to many romance readers? I confess to having a soft spot for the bad boys in Christian romantic …
Continue reading “Redeeming the Bad Boy Hero in Christian Romance + #Giveaway”
It’s Throwback Thursday! This post was originally published in January 2017, but the principles still hold true. Once upon a time, it was difficult to get a novel published, because there were too many authors competing for too few slots with publishing houses so only the best (or most saleable) books got published (in theory. …
Continue reading “Throwback Thursday | Is My Manuscript Publishable?”
We writers are lucky these days. We’re swamped with books, articles and teaching on how to write well. Many of them focus on plot and structure, writing style or characters. There are others, of course─setting, mood, point of view and all the relevant how-to aspects. No doubt I’ve forgotten many others. I feel an important …
Continue reading “Writers Life | An Often-Overlooked Key To Successful Writing – Know Your Readers”
‘Every child is an artist until he’s told he’s not an artist.’ When I saw this quote by John Lennon on a Facebook meme, it touched something deep inside me. Like most kids, I loved to get out the crayons and draw, trace or colour in. But by the time I was in high school, …
Continue reading “Writers Life | Don’t Let Anyone Disqualify You from Your Art”
Do you ever wonder why our functionality as writers is so fragile? One person or emotion or season or frown or word, can transform Writer’s peek to Writer’s block. An unassuming experience made me believe that it’s our passivity and not our fragility that gets in the way of our writing flow. It gets in …
“Where do you get your ideas?” That’s surely the most-asked question posed to any novelist. And the answer is probably one of the hardest. Maybe right up there with “How do you breathe?” Because, surely, for writers, ideas are a bit like breathing—sometimes even hyperventilating. If only I had the time and energy to develop …
I’m posting today in my role of Zone Director of the Beyond the Borders zone of American Christian Fiction Writers, which includes many Australian and New Zealand members. American Christian Fiction Writers is a writing organisation devoted to improving the craft of Christian Fiction. Members can benefit from: Online critique groups, writing training, and webinars. Discounted …
Continue reading “What’s New From Members of ACFW Beyond the Borders”
Once upon a time, it was my only wish to walk into a Koorong store and see my book there. Book. Singular. I scarcely had capacity to imagine much beyond desiring to have one title published. Now, at the end of this month, I’ll have twenty books roaming free in the world, most of which …
A beautiful ballad by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, the Joker and the Queen tells the tale of two people who are from opposite worlds, finding love and connection. As writers, our method of operation is to try to get into the head and heart of people – albeit made-up people – to be able …
