The Human Puzzle One of my favorite scenes is of a powerful lord who defies every cultural convention to save a slave, and in so doing declaring that a few hundred slaves are of equal value to one of their… Read More ›
Guest Post
Posts by guest bloggers
Courage to Save the Mockingbirds – Guest Post by Tracey Dyck
Courage to Save the Mockingbirds: an essay on “To Kill a Mockingbird” The novel To Kill a Mockingbird presents a vibrant collection of virtues and vices for the reader’s perusal, qualities to emulate and faults to root out. Courage leads the… Read More ›
The Human Art – Guest Post by Kaci Hill
Once upon a time, the Master and Commander of all that exists, Supreme Emperor of the Cosmos grew a person out of the ground, breathed his own life’s breath into him, named him, and gave him an identity that made… Read More ›
Finish that Book – Guest Post by Jessi Roberts
All published books have one crucial characteristic in common that you must master before you will be a published author. It’s not any of the usual qualities writing teachers insist upon—showing instead of telling, motivation/reaction units, or proper character arcs…. Read More ›
To Utter Things Hidden: Striking a Chord without a Sermon – Guest Post by Olivia Hofer
To Utter Things Hidden: Striking a Chord without a Sermon I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world. Most of us have probably read books and watched films that left… Read More ›
Finding Inspiration in Non-Traditional Places – Guest Post by Holli Herdeg
Finding Inspiration in Non-Traditional Places Ideas are at the heart of storytelling. Some writers never have any trouble finding ideas; others need to work at it. I’m one of the second. For a few years, I worried that I couldn’t… Read More ›
Hooks Readers Can’t Resist – Guest Post by Rebecca LuElla Miller
Some time ago, visitors at the team blog Speculative Faith answered the question, “Would you keep reading?” about the first one hundred words of five unpublished manuscripts written by anonymous volunteers. Over fifty percent of those who participated chose one… Read More ›
Increase Character Conflict – Guest Post by Camy Tang
Here are some tips for making a bland or episodic story more interesting by introducing deep character conflicts. Sometimes, a writer will get feedback that the characters are unlikable or uninteresting, or the story is only “okay.” This is usually… Read More ›
How to Find a Great Literary Agent – Amanda Luedeke
How to Find a Great Literary Agent By Amanda Luedeke Not all agents are created equal Some agents are wonderful. They work hard, fight for their clients, and believe wholeheartedly in the power of words. They leverage their many industry… Read More ›
The Most Important Characteristic of a Good Writer – Guest Post by Scott Appleton
When I was in my early teenage years I recognized that in the hearts of my peer group lay one major problem. That problem was pride. The pride of youth that came with the belief that we could achieve anything… Read More ›