Fail Your Way to Success

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Hi, Dave Fessenden here with some thoughts on writing for this Friday blog. Right now, I’m working on the sequel to my first novel (The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy), and having to remind myself of some of the things I’ve told others about writer’s block. One thing I’ve learned about tackling a new project is this: don’t expect to succeed.

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Go Back to Your Roots

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Hi, Dave Fessenden here, with something for you Christian writers out there to ponder. Have you ever thought about the roots of your writing? No, don’t go out in the back yard with a shovel (unless maybe you buried a manuscript out there!). I’m talking about the chronological roots of the material you write.

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Backstory Is a Whole Other Story

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Hi, Dave Fessenden here with some thoughts on writing for this Friday blog. I am experienced in nonfiction—I wrote a book on the subject, in fact—but when it comes to fiction, I still have a lot to learn. My first novel is coming out this month (The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy), and though I’m getting a lot of good reviews, I am not sure I’m ready to teach about fiction. With that disclaimer, let me share an observation I had when reviewing a potential client’s fiction manuscript.

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Are You Stretching Yourself?

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Hi, Dave Fessenden here, with a question for my fellow Christian writers: Are you stretching yourself? There are many times in my ministry as a Christian writer in which I feel like I’m becoming stagnant, like I’m writing with my eyes closed. When I feel that way, I try to counteract it by delving into a genre of writing with which I am unfamiliar. Though this is hard, it can be be a great growing experience. No, I don’t always come up with something publishable that way, but that’s OK; the purpose of the exercise is not to produce great…

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