Writing for young children is much harder than many writers realize—that is until they try it! As a children's author and freelance editor, I reveiw children's stories that writers hope to publish. I often see the same mistakes being made by different writers, so in today's blog, I will address those common mistakes in order to help writers avoid them.
Month: August 2013
This is our archive pageRunning on fumes
This past Sunday, my hubby and I headed to the beach to visit friends and catch some sun rays. But the trip turned cold when the display on the dash showed we had 14 miles before empty. Gulp. Nothing but highway ahead. The 14 soon turned to 10. We prayed. Then the indicator turned to 5. Then 2. No gas stations, or exits anywhere either. Finally, the displayed showed zero miles. That’s when I swallowed what I might have said and instead spoke softly. “Honey, God still works miracles.” I fidgeted in my seat. “A gas station will appear…
Sometimes, It’s What We Don’t Say That Matters
As writers who work at our craft every day, we meet the blank page squarely with the intent of filling it. What will we write about? How will we describe our characters? Which facts will we use to flesh out our story and, if writing an opinion piece, our arguments? But there is another element to writing that is often more potent than what we say on a page. That is, what we don't say. Indeed, the use of not using certain words, descriptions, or dialogue is a potent part of the writer's craft, strong and bold when used well,…
Tips From the Pros: Karen Kosman
Hello – Davalynn Spencer here, visiting today with author Karen Kosman about her unique journey into the writing world. Karen, how did you get into writing? I never planned on being a writer, let alone an author. A misdiagnosis of lupus forced me into an early retirement. Unsure of my future I asked God, “What am I to do the rest of my life?” God then impressed on my heart to write. I finally said, “Yes.” Not knowing where to start I began attending writers’ conferences. I met Susan Osborn at a conference and started using her Christian Communicators Critique…
NEW RELEASE The One Year–My Princess Devotions by Karen Whiting
Girls will be delighted to learn they are beloved princesses as daughters of the King. Each daily devotion includes a scripture (Royal Words), a special message (Royal Thoughts), a prayer, and an activity to apply the scripture (Princess in Action). Lovely artwork adds to the joy of these do-able devotions. Young girls will enjoy connecting to God and start a great lifetime habit of spending time with God…
Logos retailer Wins CAN-authored Books
CAN (Christian Authors Network) president Bonnie Calhoun and treasurer Karen Whiting spoke at the Association of Logos Bookstores conference and held a drawing for a bundle of CAN-authored books. The Logos managers hold their conference in tandem with the International Christian Retail Show. Becky Gorczya, executive director for the association said, “Karen Whiting and Bonnie Calhoun joined us with their enthusiastic presentation on successfully using social networking. Many thanks to the CAN authors for providing over $800 in nonfiction and fiction titles for a drawing that capped off the event." Janet Roberts from the Logos Bookstore of Nassau Bahamas won…
Walk-On and Secondary Characters
Welcome to the CAN blog and some information about writing fiction from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com Most writers learn how to create believeable main characters who are usual the man or woman bringing the story to life through their perceptions, emotions and actions, but learning how to use secondary characters is a different process altogether. Numerous characters appear in your novels for realism and to provide a piece of action necessary to move the story forward or to broaden characterization of a main character. These walk-on characters might be referred to as the waiter, clerk, cab driver, mail carrier,…
Tips from the Pros: Liz Tolsma
Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! Today I have the joy of interviewing fellow WWII fiction author, Liz Tolsma. Her debut novel, Snow on the Tulips, is an outstanding look at life in Nazi-occupied Holland, and it just released on August 6! Liz, how did you get into writing? How many books do you have published? My fifth-grade teacher gave us many writing assignments. I loved them –especially the tall tales where I could let my imagination run wild. She encouraged me to follow my dream of becoming an author. It took a long time to happen, but I always…
Using Research More Effectively
Here are a few tips I’ve learned to keep myself organized, and few things I plan to do with that research to capitalize on the effort. If you are doing research these tips may save you time and increase your productivity.
PUGS Pointers #24
Hi! I’m Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about "PUGS"–Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling…tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Each blog post will have one tip for each of the four categories. (For more PUGS tips, check out my website, or get a copy of my book Polishing the PUGS (available through the website or at the conferences where I teach). If you’re interested in working with a freelance editor (or know someone who is), e-mail me through the…
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