Writing Tips

Adding Colour by Pamela Mytroen

The hotel room I am staying in depresses me. Shades of brown from the bedspread to the carpet and drapes and even the beige wallpaper and gold-framed art are lacking an accent colour. But what is worse, a bland monochromatic colour scheme or loud colours of every shade shouting at you? To add colour to… Read more »

A Sabbatical, Not an Excuse by Tracy Krauss

The book of Ecclesiastics tells us that there is a season to every activity. We are all familiar with the “list,” but nowhere does it say, “A time to write and a time to refrain from writing.” Still, God Himself provides us with a cyclical example by resting on the seventh day. It is reasonable… Read more »

From Picture to Story by Jack Popjes

I just finished reading the second in the three-volume series of Ransom Riggs’ “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” Riggs came across some vintage photographs of children and was struck by the peculiarities of expression, bodies, dress, or poses. He collected more of the same style of photos and eventually developed a storyline based totally… Read more »

Are You Hooked? by Steph Beth Nickel

NONFICTION OPENINGS “Imagine for a moment that one of your favorite female Bible characters were to somehow travel through time to the modern day. What would Esther, or Ruth, or Mary Magdalene think as they stared, amazed, at our lives?” (opening of Chapter 1 of The Life Ready Woman: Thinking in a Do-It-All World by… Read more »

Metaphor is a Golden Thread by Pamela Mytroen

One of the biggest challenges I face as I write human interest stories is to weave the hundreds of little anecdotes and stories that a person, business, or concert provides into a cohesive piece. I learned a strategy with the first piece I wrote for the newspaper—but not without some growing pains. The old gal… Read more »

You Still Get Fudge by Brenda J. Wood

Even though the recipe is unbelievably simple, even though there are only two ingredients, the result is terrific fudge. 1 pkg. (225 g) Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate 1 can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Melt chocolate as directed on… Read more »

Happy New Year

It’s here . . . a brand new year with brand new writing opportunities. Here are twelve suggestions to make this your best year yet:

Showing or Telling by Carolyn Wilker

A student wrote a story about a memory from her childhood when she went on a walk by herself. Fascinated by the water that flowed in the ditch alongside the road near her home, she got into mud and was stuck. She didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, her parents were not too far away… Read more »

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.

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?