When I was in college, my favorite class was Creative Writing 101. The professor was one of my favorites, and her bohemian, free-flowing style of both living and teaching permeated every encounter I had with her. One of the reasons …
Writing Life
Five Questions I Ask After Reading a Query
Recently I held a “Pitch Me Day” on Threads, a day I created to give writers a chance to pitch their project in a low pressure way. If I “like” the pitch, they get to skip the query and send …
Five Practices for Becoming a Better Writer
Whether you’ve just started putting pen to paper or you’ve been writing for years, one truth remains constant: there’s always room to grow. Becoming a better writer isn’t about waiting for inspiration to strike—it’s about showing up consistently, pushing your …
A Writer’s Summer
As we roll into summer, I thought it might be nice to take a look at the many ways a writer can benefit from both the chaos and calm that the season has to offer. Being born and raised in …
Finding distraction-free time
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of experience with distractions! I have had to find ways to work around mine and put them into their proper places and I have some tips to pass along to …
Inside the Mind of a New Agent
For many aspiring authors, the path to obtaining representation by a literary agent feels elusive and shrouded in mystery. What makes an agent ask for a proposal, and after that, a full manuscript? Why would an agent stop reading all …
A Unique Angle
You are ready to put together your proposal for the book God has laid on your heart. You know you need to write it. But how should you approach the topic? What makes your take on the topic a unique …
The Unintended Consequences of the Phrase “Book Baby”
In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, let’s discuss a popular, but loaded term in the writing world that means something good, but can have some unintended, negative consequences.
What’s the phrase? Book Baby
Perhaps you’ve heard the following examples:
I …
The Unintended Consequences of the Phrase “Book Baby”Read More
Looking Back to Help Others Move Forward
I still remember the day a California Bay Area newspaper featured an article titled “Accidental Author Shares God’s Word.” I smile remembering that it was in the front section of the paper as if this was news. It was true, …
Writing Be Like…
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Some days, writing be like…
(I know there’s a thought worth putting on paper. I know there is. An idea. One idea. That’s all I’m asking.)