Writing craft - Christian Authors Network

Category: Writing craft

This is our archive page

Proofreading Pointers #42

May 1, 2015, by admin

Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts Basic screenplay writing excerpted from HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL) Part II

March 27, 2015, by admin

Communication is an important part of the uniqueness of humankind. The human drive to communicate through a variety of forms, formats and media is remarkable. In the garden of Eden, God tasked Adam with naming all the animals. That desire to name, to create, and to communicate is still one of the most essential human traits, lasting from infancy through adulthood. Christians and Jews have long been known as people of “The Book.” Since the Bible is full of stories and Christians are called by Jesus to communicate the Good news, which He did through Parables, Christians are a storytelling…

Proofreading Pointers #41

March 6, 2015, by admin

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 tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Cutting the Fat, Part Two Following on the heels of last month’s column, here are more ways you can tighten your manuscript.

Stories, Parables & Movie Scripts: Part I – Basic screenplay writing excerpted from HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SOUL)

February 27, 2015, by admin

Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and He would not speak anything to them without a parable, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open My mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world. –Matthew 13:34–35 One day more than 70 years ago, two literary giants in England stood talking about language, stories, and religion. In the middle of the conversation, the taller gentleman blurted to his slightly balding companion, “ Here’s my point: Just as a word is an invention about an object…

How’s Your Vocabulary?

February 16, 2015, by admin

Hi, Dave Fessenden here, with a suggestion for writers. Have you been developing your vocabulary lately? Usually when I ask people that question, I get a mixed response. Most writers realize that a healthy vocabulary is helpful, but they worry that their writing is going to sound like a thesaurus, fraught with obscure, many-syllabled words. But that is not at all what I mean. I mean that we need to learn the exact definitions of words, along with their connotations, so that we can be sure to use them precisely. Let me give you an example with two words which…

Subplots Can Deepen A Story from CAN

February 13, 2015, by admin

Welcome from Gail Gaymer Martin to the CAN blog. This post will be the first of three to provide helpful information for fiction writers about subplots and how to use them successfully. This post will talk about: Story Within A Story Subplots are stories within your story. They have a similar structure—beginning, middle, end—but they cannot overshadow the main plot. Instead they should enhance the main plot by providing complication to the life of a main character, foreshadowing an event to come in the main character’s life, reflecting the main character’s growth as he comes to the aid of a…

Proofreading Pointers #40

February 6, 2015, by admin

Seven Tips on Writing for Children

January 30, 2015, by admin

Hello from Crystal Bowman! I have been writing for children for over 20 years. Before writing my first book, I spent 5 years as a preschool teacher and 12 years as a full-time mom. From my twenties to my forties, young children were part of my daily life. I am now in another decade with grandchildren, so I still have little ones in my world. When I teach at writers’ conferences, or when someone wants advice on writing for children, I always remind them that they have to know kids in order to write for them. They need to understand…

Avoid the Most Common Writing Mistakes

January 19, 2015, by admin

Georgia Shaffer from Pennsylvania Several of my coaching clients are writers and speakers who surprisingly make similar mistakes in their writing. Here are six suggestions I find myself repeating, which you may find helpful. 1. Write and let it sit for awhile. Your writing should be allowed to age, like great relationships. While you may not always have the luxury of time, plan ahead when possible. Work on other projects and come back to what you’ve written a couple of weeks later. You’ll be stunned at what you find that you did not notice earlier. 2. Hire a professional editor….

Pace Yourself: Part 2

January 11, 2015, by admin

Historical post by Gail Gaymer Martin. Earlier I’d blogged on Part I of Pace Yourself, the ability to drive a novel to the peaks and down again as the story builds and ebbs with excitement and drama of conflicts and crises. This post presents another look at good pacing through various techniques.