Author Archives: Steph Nickel

Daily Obeying Our Caller – Jack Popjes

The name of Eugene Peterson’s classic book on discipleship A Long Obedience in the Same Direction describes exactly how we become the writers God called us to be. C. S. Lewis, writing about character development, mentioned the importance of not just being on the right road but facing the right direction and moving, be it… Read more »

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Curtains: Writing Effective Endings – Pamela Mytroen

Three that I come across regularly are the “Sudden-Death Curtain,” the “Preview Curtain,” and the “Curtain Call. In the Sudden-Death Curtain ending, a story or article ends without warning.

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Holed Up or Hold Up?

A while back, I got to thinking about why I have such a tough time just sitting down to write. I have lots of ideas for books floating around my head. And because I work from home, I have the privilege of creating my own schedule. So, what’s the hold up?

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Fiction 101: Part 10 – Don’t Let Your Middle Sag – Janice L. Dick

At my age, a title like this makes me take notice. I sit up straighter, pull my shoulders back and suck in my middle. Adapted from http://goo.gl/nNe6vj That’s what we want to do with the middles of our stories: Be aware of their presentation and do what’s required to improve them.

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Never Stop Learning

How to confound your family in one easy step . . . Curl up on the couch reading Lynne Truss’s Eats Shoots and Leaves and laugh uproariously while your family is trying to watch television in the same room. “Only a writer,” you say. And you’d be right. Or an editor, agent, or publisher.

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