I recently watched a video clip where the person said, “There is no such thing as writer’s block. When you have no idea as to how to continue, it is time to take a break and do something different.” This is good news on the one hand, but for someone who feels stuck, it might…
Memoir, Testimony, Autobiography or Biography? Which One Are You Writing? If you’re thinking about writing your story—or someone else’s—you might be wondering where it fits. Is it a memoir, testimony, autobiography, or biography? These words often get used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things. Understanding those differences can help you write with clarity and…
A Guide for Self-Publishing or Indie Authors As an indie author, you are in the unique position of wearing many hats—writer, editor, marketer, and publisher. When it comes to publishing multiple works (or working with other writers), it’s important to understand the different formats available. Terms like anthology, collaboration, compilation, and collection can sound similar,…
Is word count important? How important is it to know the guidelines for publishing a novel or a story? When we are taught about writing, we are taught to pick our characters, our storyline, and then write. But is it important to be mindful about how many words you end up with in the final…
In January 2021, I signed up for a course, “My Story Matters”, with Leslie Leyland Fields, author of Your Story Matters. The purpose of the course is to give people the keys to writing their stories. The reason that I signed up to do the course was to better understand writing from the perspective of…
Genre reflects reader expectations. If you’re writing for the general market (whether as a Christian or non-Christian) then the question of whether you can swear or not comes down to genre. Genre Focus: Christian Fiction It is generally accepted that the language content of Christian writing is censored of profanity. The question does arise at…
A few years ago, I bought a book from a friend who was emigrating to the UK. The title of the book is Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. The picture on the cover is a panda on a ladder painting a comma. Pandas eat shoots and leaves but with some punctuation added in,…
Who are you writing for? Before you start writing, know who your target audience will be. If you are writing a book for children, determine which age group you are aiming to inspire. If you are writing a self-help book, ask yourself who the book is for—a teenager, a middle-aged person, a woman, or a…