Writing
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“Every hour you spend writing is an hour you don’t spend worrying about your writing.” –James Scott Bell, at the 2009 Christian Writers Seminar, as quoted by Beth Thompson here. Bell is the No. 1 bestselling author of Plot & Structure, and thrillers like Deceived, Try Dying, and One More Lie. Under the pen name
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The Web is full of admonitions to stretch before working out or engaging in any kind of exercise. Why? The plusses are many: Stretching helps prevent injuries. It keeps your muscles in good working order. Tight muscles are less capable. It just makes you feel good. Plus, if you stretch first you’re less likely to
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Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes. For instance, I dabble in color and graphic design. I love to cook, but hate to clean up. I write a little. But what really gets my creative juices going is helping other writers discover the beauty in their writing through the editing process. One of the things
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Recently, I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference in Dallas TX. I always come away from these gatherings with renewed creativity and an appreciation for just how tough this business is. But I also come away with a glow. If you’ve been to a writer’s conference, you probably understand. If not, and if
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Never kick a sleeping skunk. — Kelly Long’s Mom Mom’s have a lot of great advice. I’m sure we’ve all heard: Money does not grow on trees. Don’t make that face or it’ll freeze in that position. Always change your underwear; you never know when you’ll have an accident. Be careful or you’ll put your
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I started this blog to, as the sidebar says, “help writers cross the fine line between where they are and where they want to be.” One way to do that, I reasoned, was to draw back the veil a bit between the editor and the writer. As an editor, it thrills me to help writers
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“But I talk about my life anyway because if, on the one hand, hardly anything could be less important, on the other hand, hardly anything could be more important. My story is important not because it is mine, God knows, but because if I tell it anything like right, the chances are you will recognize
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Some people think of publishing as an “It’s who you know” industry. And it often works that way. But I believe it’s not “who you know” as much as “who you are.” You may think: “I’m no one. I’m not published. I’m still adding to my (growing) file of rejections.” “I’m no one. My first
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Today’s In The Edit is a little different. Today I want to show you, by using a Deborah Raney example, ways that a good editor can help you make the most of the articles you write as you’re building your platform or your freelance business. But, I do want to caution you as well. While
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There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. ― Maya Angelou, an American poet, memoirist, actress, and civil rights activist. (b. 1928) Oh so true. Some of the stories inside are happy, some sad; some decadent, some holy. But whether happy or sad each is on the inside fighting to get
Writing On The Fine Line 