The secret

I discovered the secret to a successful writing adventure.  If you'd like to send your dollars my way, I'll be glad to share the secret.

OK, I'll trust you to send them in.

Here's the answer:

WRITE!  Get your tail in a chair and write every day.  No excuses.  Writers write.  They don't read about writing or collect conference notes or go to writers' groups.  (OK, they do those things but that's not what brings success.)  The key is to write.

I'm competitive and I get motivated by challenges, such as the NovelTrack offered by ACFW last month.  Could I write 10,000 words in a month?  I could.  I could write even more!

So what motivates you?  Ditch the excuses and get those words on paper.

Are you still here reading?  Get out there and write!

New fiction

If you like your fiction a little quirky and unusual, check out this interview with Leanna Ellis, a homeschooling mom with a vivid imagination.

Marcher Lord Press

Our family loves the books coming out of the new indie publisher, Marcher Lord Press.  Check out their newsletter if you enjoy fantasy/sci fi/ spec fiction by Christian authors.

Good advice

"When you write, try to leave out the parts 

the readers skip."  

Elmore Leonard

Wrapping up Novel Track

I'm like a lot of writers: not gifted in the time management department.  Organization means I remember which pile that letter is in (or what trash can I might have dumped it into).  This method works about as well as you imagine it does.

But when ACFW offered a NovelTrack program in July - an accountability group to watch me write - I decided I didn't have time.  Then came the nudge: do it.  I try to say "Yes, Lord," to those nudges.

I did it.  I gingerly agreed to the 10,000-word goal wondering how on earth I'd do that.  However, when I did a quick punch on a calculator, I got a second wind.  That was only 350 words a day.  I could do that.  I write longer e-mail messages than that!

I discovered that writing every day is more important that trying to carve out hours for the big numbers.  Nope, writing every day works.  I logged 25,000 words in July.  Who'd figure?

See the badge over at the left?  That's the first of many, I hope.  The next NovelTrack is in October and I may be ready for my next WIP by then.

I'm not stopping this daily writing.  Besides, I'm now in too deep with this mystery to leave me hanging.  I gotta found out how it ends - and who really did do it!

August Afictionado

A fresh set of articles for fiction writers are available in the August edition of Afictionado, the monthly magazine of the American Christian Fiction Writers.

Here's a partial list of the articles:

From the President: Someday
Cynthia Ruchti, ACFW President, asks "What do you do while waiting for someday and the fullness of time?" No answer? She suggests some of those, too.       More...

The Writer's Toolbox: The 10 Commandments of Time Management
Angela Hunt is here to whip you in shape with 10 of her best time management tips. Don't make her come over there and unplug your TV! Don't forget to click on the PDF link at the bottom of the article for the study questions!       More...

My First Sale: Kelly Ann Riley
First time novelist Kelly Ann Riley says “...when God gives you a gift or talent, He expects you to use it. He gave me this drive to write, and it’s my job to do it to the best of my ability.”       More...

Batter Up! Give Me Your Best Pitch!
Funny lady ("People, people who need people...") Ane Mulligan tells how she learned to pitch. Did she hit a homerun at her first ACFW conference in 2005?       More...

ACFW Bookclub: No Other by Shawna K. Williams
Next month the ACFW Bookclub will read and discuss No Other. Reviewer Lisa Lickel says it's a short read, but by no means light.       More...

Genre City: Nightshade by Ronie Kendig
Hot reviews of cool reads! Before you start reading the book, be sure you've set aside a good amount of time because the story starts with a bang and escalates from there.