Guest Post | Matthew Karchner and Straight 2 Queensland

Raised in a Christian home, I followed my deceitful heart into a gay lifestyle. Glamorous and fun initially, I later realized it was a fantasy world void of peace. Cowering in fear of reality, I became addicted to a laundry list of vices. Friends committed suicide and overdosed. The Lord reminded me of scripture I …

Portraying True Characters in Historical Fiction

Have you ever noticed that movies based on real events have different taglines? If it says ‘based on a true story’, it will stick fairly closely to the facts. The producer and director still take some poetic licence, or it would be a documentary rather than a movie, but the main elements will be true. …

NetGalley for Readers: Pros, Cons and Tips

If you love reading, there’s nothing better than getting a free book or two … or twenty. You can do just that by registering for a free NetGalley account. NetGalley is a website where publishers and indie authors offer free advance copies of books in electronic or audio format so that they can get reviews …

Write Like You Mean It

I’ve been learning a lot about myself lately and what I’ve found is that when I write in alignment with my true self, I get scared. If this doesn’t sound familiar you may want to stop reading and go on with your day. If this does sound familiar, then maybe we can try and work …

Guest Post | EJ Harper on the Inspiration Behind Lazarus Remembered

Lazarus Remembered: The Creation of an Immersive Audiobook A contemporary family drama that explores challenges within non-traditional family structures, Lazarus Remembered, is a twelve-hour immersive audiobook. Set mainly in Australia, it’s a tale of love and loss, forgiveness and redemption, and includes a soundtrack of thirteen original songs and production values similar to a radio …

May 2021 News from Omega Writers

It’s time for our monthly crosspost with Christian Writers Downunder, sharing the news from Omega Writers. 2021 Omega Writers Retreat As we all know, the 2020 Omega Writer’s Conference was cancelled as we all experienced the joys of working and schooling from home. Restrictions to international travel mean we can’t hold our conference as planned …

Book Design and the Reader Experience

As readers, we probably don’t think too much about book layouts until something goes wrong. The font’s too small and we can’t read it. The print goes so close to the inside margins that it’s hard to read. The text is so dense on each page that we don’t feel like ploughing through. I’ve been …

What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

What story are you telling yourself? I’m here to give you the inside scoop on a small detail in the plot of your story you’ve probably overlooked because the long and short of it is, the story you’ve been telling yourself may need some editing if you’re going to fulfil the calling and destiny on …

It Starts With An Inkling…

In Bruce Wilkinson’s wonderful 2003 book, ‘The Dream Giver’ he says that every dream starts somewhere. He believes that “when you have a dream it starts with an inkling, a cluster of interests, a longing that won’t go away.” And in the hints and whispers of faraway thoughts that beckon us to be brave and …