Hello from Crystal Bowman! I have been writing books for children for over 20 years and have learned a few things along the way. Writing for children is much harder than most people realize. The challenge is to write an engaging, creative story using limited vocabulary and word count. Another thing to consider is naming your characters. The characters in a book may be animals or humans, but either way, they need names—and choosing the right name is important!
Month: May 2015
This is our archive pageStories, Parables & Movie Scripts — Basic screenplay writing excerpted from HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) — Part III — For Better or for Worse
Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts Basic screenplay writing excerpted from HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) Part III For Better or for Worse Communicating effectively requires learning and applying the basic principles of language, grammar, rhetoric, technique, and general rules that govern each genre and medium. There are three levels of such principles: general principles (which apply to most communications), genre specific principles, and media specific principles. There are also several steps involved in producing powerful communications, including movies and television programs. Here is a brief outline of the most important foundational steps in preparing your communication….
Did They Dominate 2014?
Grace and Peace from Hot, Muggy, Sticky, “No, you don’t want to move down here and retire” Florida! Really. If we get too many more people, the peninsula will break off and float out into the Atlantic. I hear North Carolina’s nice this time of year… They have golf up there, too. 🙂 It’s Marketing Wednesday. Since I am not a marketing genius, I always feel a little inadequate trying to help those of you in the writing business who are much further along in the “selling” aspect of the biz than I am. I’m old school. Call me a fuddy-duddy….
How do we face bad news?
Hola from Janet Perez Eckles…Igniting Your Passion to Overcome What happened? Remember years past? We had new opportunities, more book contracts, more invitations to speak, and best-selling status was attainable. What happened? Without warning, the economy turned. Competition became fierce, and because of that, at times restlessness made our creativity fade.
Tips from the Pros: Sharon K. Souza
Greetings from Marti Pieper in lovely Mount Dora, Florida, where the temperatures seem unduly warm after my nine-day sojourn in Estes Park, Colorado teaching and serving on staff at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I took my husband along this year, and the final day, we went from snow to sweltering in less than twelve hours’ time. But I trust that no matter how warm you are, the following interview with author Sharon K. Souza will blow into your day like a refreshing breeze. Although I don’t know Sharon personally, she and I met online several years ago through the popular (now…
NEW RELEASE: JUNE 2015 – THE JESUS EXPERIENCE BY BILL MYERS
What if Christianity was a joyous dance with God? What if we gave up religion and simply let Him hold and adore us? What if we fell so deeply in love with Him that serving and obeying was our greatest privilege? Join author Bill Myers, as he takes us deep into the heart of God. A place where Christ’s overwhelming passion for us literally changes and transforms our lives. A place where we become so filled with His love that we can’t stop it from spilling over into our living and soaking everyone we meet. Get ready to experience Jesus…
Is Anxiety Ambushing Your Writing?
Georgia Shaffer from Pennsylvania One coaching client emailed me, saying, “Every time I sit down to write, I’m flooded with anxious thoughts. The voices in my head shout that I can’t write and nobody wants to read what I have to say. How do I deal with all this anxiety?” In highly motivated people like this woman, I’ve found it is often anxiety that interferes with our creativity and ability to focus. Obviously not all anxiety is detrimental to writing. These feelings can motivate us to take action. But constant anxiety can lead to moodiness, writer’s block, headaches and even insomnia…
MARKETING: ANOTHER LOOK AT PINTEREST
A Note from Carol McAdams Moore Do you remember the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? Sometimes that is difficult for authors to embrace. We are used to painting pictures with our words. Using an actual picture to communicate an idea makes us stop and reroute our creative process. Last month, I posted an introduction to Pinterest here. Today we will look at the basics of setting up an account and creating Pinterest boards.
Aren’t I Supposed to Work For God?
Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the sunny desert of Southern California. One of my main memories from several years ago when I was in bed from a bad back for nine months was feeling unproductive. It seemed at the time unexplainable that God wouldn’t want me to be working for His glory. And if you’re like me, we can easily feel like we need to earn God’s approval. After all, aren’t we supposed to work for God’s glory? If I’m not doing something for Him, it seems like I’m being disobedient. And even unloved and “un-approved.” But reading Matthew 6:25-26…
Short But Sweet: The Romantic Novella
May has opened our eyes to the beautiful of creation—flowers peaking above the ground, trees leaving and sprouting blossoms. Earth’s beauty abounds and we look forward to summer, the time of vacations and outdoor living. One thing many of us love to do in summer is sit in the shade on our porches or beneath a tree and read. Many people like shorter readers so today I’m talking about novellas, full-length stories but in a shorter format. Romantic historical and contemporary novellas are popular among readers. They are short novels, running from 20,000 to 40,000 words, yet are complete stories…
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