"Movies provide a way for writers to see a story performed in action. Analyze the characters, plot, dialogue, and setting for ways to strengthen your story."

"A successful writer keeps her tools sharpened and is always, always learning. "

"Determination is a required trait for a successful writer."

"A writing mentor is someone who encourages the serious novice to reach for more than he or she ever imagined."

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go." (and grow per DiAnn) E.L. Doctorow

"Don't put a protective shield around your protagonist. Pit that character against insurmountable odds - into an abyss that we'd never venture."

"The first sentence in a writer's manuscript can reel in your readers and keep them hooked to the page, or it can sink your story."

"The most important point for the novelist to remember is that the dance of superb writing requires two partners: strong characterization and an exceptional plot."

"Propel your story into action by incorporating body language, explosive emotion, purposeful dialogue, and unique settings."

GENESIS vs. EXODUS - "If writers fail to complete the preliminary work before beginning Chapter one, readers will do a mass exodus."

"We never stop learning about the craft. Whether we're following a new blog by a respected professional or we're rereading how-to books, our journey continues to make us better writers."

"This is the year for focusing on social media. Think relationships and new friends, not book sales."

Ernest Hemingway said "All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened."

"I have a few simple words for all writers this month. Don't ever give up. Keep writing. Keep learning. Keep praying. Keep reading. Keep attending conferences and networking. And always be ready to help and encourage writers."

"For those of you who are writers or are aspiring to be writers, let me give you a tip. Mentor those who have much to learn about the craft. You'll find that you will learn more and the blessings that follow cannot be measured."

"Be your own best editor. Let your writing project "cook" for as long as possible before going back to edit. The writing will then be fresh, and your editor-eyes will be able to focus on needed changes."

"Take every opportunity to read the books from the writers you admire and respect. Highlight the passages that leap from the page and come alive with passion and meaning. Dissect those passages and analyze the writing. Then return to your own work. Can you translate the same technique to your work?"

"The writer is an explorer. Every step is an advance into new land." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Be willing to pay the price of being published -- a price that has nothing to do with money, but a great deal to do with choices, time and the pain of revision and emotional growth."--Grandma Sherle

Hook your reader in the first sentence. I call the hook an irresistible invitation. It's also a promise that every word after the hook will be as exciting as the first sentence. Don't disappoint your reader. You are ushering them into an adventure, one you plan for them never to forget. Thrill them--make them laugh, cry, fear, and hope. Transfer the passion you have for your story to the reader by hooking them in the beginning and keep them turning pages until the end.

Characters thrive on their passions. Their passions drive them to convictions, and convictions motivate the character into action.

Too many times Christian Writers forget they are writing for an audience of One. Any outstanding sales figures or great reviews are a pure blessing.

When others critique your work, consider the following guidelines:

1. Does the suggestion have value?
2. Does the suggestion make the story stronger?
3. Does the suggestion enhance characterization?
4. Does the suggestion eliminate wordiness or clichés?
5. Does the suggestion strengthen grammar and punctuation?

These are just a few topics that will help you make the decision to incorporate the edit into your work.

Just like the secret to a delicious stew is to leave it alone and let it simmer, that is what we writers need to do after we've finished our books. Let that manuscript set and simmer for at least a month before coming back to edit it. With the fresh reading, errors are more obvious, and the writer will be able to turn in a much better written book!

Symbolism
Rebecca McClanahan says “a symbol means more than itself, but first it means itself. McClanahan gives an example from Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage. The symbol is blood. The symbol is not courage (intangible) but the stain of blood. Although the blood symbolizes courage in this novel, blood could mean something entirely different in another novel.

Read for knowledge, inspiration, and technique. The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal uses the best of the best of writers. These newspapers provide fresh plot ideas along with tight writing that is clear and concise.

Read for style as well as for entertainment. Highlight those passages that delight and intrigue you, then analyze them to discover a technique unique to you.

A publisher's insistence upon a certain word count is not to limit your creativity, but to make every word a creative choice. Consider it a challenge to make every word pack a powerful punch.

Take the time to read--for within the pages of books are friends you have never met, places you've never been, and adventures that will last a lifetime

“If we just give God the little that we have, we can trust Him to make it go around.” – Gloria Gaither. A little boy had only five loaves and two fishes when thousands around were hungry. Yet he willingly gave what he had. Then he watched as the Lord took his offering, blessed it and fed the five thousand. He asks the same from us: that we offer what we have – willingly - and then watch as he takes it and feeds those who are hungry for his word. Life Management Tip

Nancy Williams, licensed counselor, life coach, and writer.

"I am but a little pencil in the hand of a mighty God who is writing a love letter to the world." - Mother Theresa. What's most important is not how great a writer we are or the number of publishing credits we have, but rather that we see ourselves as tools God wants to use to communicate his love. It's not about us.it's about him and what he desires to do through us.
What can you do today to sharpen up and then be ready and available for him to use you as his instrument?

This life management tip for writers is courtesy of Nancy Williams, licensed counselor, life coach, and writer.

With December deadlines and last minute writing responsibilities, remember to thank God for sending His Son in the form of a baby. Without Jesus, nothing we do has an eternal purpose.

If writers do not learn and grow in the process of creating a project, then they not only fail the reader, but they also fail themselves.

Eliminate "writer's block" from your vocabulary. If the words refuse to come, have your character write a letter, a grocery list, exciting vacation spots, favorite books, a dream car with all of the options - anything to keep your fingers on the keys.

Writer's Quote: This month's quote comes from Corrie ten Boom. A writer friend pointed it out to me, and I wanted to pass it on to you. "Every experience God Gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see."

It's easy for a writer to hide in a cave and write, but it's in the relationships we have with others that our stories take on flesh and meaning.

Read what you want to write, and write what you want to read.

The More time we spend with Characters and events, the greater right we feel we have to find out what happens to them. Nancy Kress

"It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer." From Charlotte's Web

"I write for the same reason I breathe -- because if I didn't, I would die." -- Isaac Asimov

What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers.

Logan Pearsall Smith

Helen Keller said: Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved

Research doesn't mean a jaunt to the library or sailing through cyberspace. It means a trip into your characters' lives

Many writers finish their book and spend more time finding the agent than ensuring they have written the best possible book.

In any writer, I look for the ilities: humility, teachability, coachability, availability, and flexibility. Jerry B. Jenkins

"When you read a classic you do not see in the book more than you did before. You see more in you than there was before." Clifton Fadiman

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." - H.D. Thoreau

The solitude of writing is also quite frightening. It's quite close sometimes to madness, one just disappears for a day and loses touch." --Nadine Gordimer

You finally know your character when he crawls into the shower and begins to interview you. Take a few notes. You may find out a few interesting tidbits.

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island. . . and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life." Walt Disney

Diana Gabaldon said: "It was . . . a lady novelist who remarked to me once that writing novels was a cannibal's art, in which one often mixed small portions of one's friends and one's enemies together, seasoned them with imagination, and allowed the whole to stew together into a savory concoction."

In honor of Coretta Scott King 1927-2006: I learned that when you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone.

"The chief glory of every people arises from its authors." --Samuel Johnson

Writing is a mixture of the heart, soul, and spirit. Be prepared for those times when emotions and deadlines conflict. Schedule your life for rest, play, and work. DiAnn 12/05

"To write a breakout novel is to run free of the pack. It is to delve deeper, think harder, revise more, and commit to creating characters and plot that surpass one's previous accomplishments. It is to say "no to merely being good enough to be published. It is a commitment to quality." Donald Maass

If you want to be truly successful, respected, and admired by writers and readers, give of yourself without thought of money or reward." DiAnn 03/05

Take time between writing projects to read or reread a book on the craft. Old concepts become fresh and new ones help make our writing better." DiAnn 12/04

"Promotion and marketing your book is as valuable as the writing process. Commit to reading a marketing book every quarter - oft times ones you already have read - to keep you informed and excited about your writing project." DiAnn 09/04

"If you want a new perspective on your writing, step out from behind your computer and mentor a new fledging writer. The relationship will be a blessing to both of you. You will not only sharpen your skills, but also learn to celebrate the perks of writing that you may have long forgotten." DiAnn 08/04

"Slang is language which takes off its coat, spits on its hands -- and goes to work." -- Carl Sandburg DiAnn 05/04

"Do not send a reader to the dictionary more than once in any given book." -- John Berendt DiAnn 02/04
"No matter how many books we publish, we must continually educate ourselves by reading other books written by authors we respect and appreciate. Note what makes their work outstanding. Now read your own work and see what you enjoy the most about your manuscripts. What areas still need work? This is not an opportunity to plagiarize, but an opportunity to study what makes good writers special and unique! You want your writing to zing with the same appeal and the words to dance off the pages into the hearts of the readers." DiAnn 06/03

"Regarding research: Try to visit the area where you set your story. Use your senses. What are the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches that are unique? Talk to the locals and inquire about the history of your setting. Always be looking for the small details that prove your credibility." DiAnn 03/03

"Writing is akin to taking a journey across a vast amount of land. You can take the Interstate and bore the reader through hundreds of miles of words, or you can take the scenic route and watch how your characters respond to the countryside." DiAnn 11/02

"Proper editing is the key to cutting the flab in your manuscript. Read your work aloud to hear the flow and rhythm of narration and the ease of dialogue. Be creative with powerful nouns and verbs rather than an abundance of adjectives and adverbs. Good writing reads clear and concise when you trim the excess from your work." DiAnn 09/02

"To enhance your characterization, assign specific words that your character will use in his vocabulary. Take into consideration the time period, education, setting, career, and the many other items pertaining uniquely to him." DiAnn 07/02

"Characterization is the key factor to making your writing stand out fresh and unique. Think back on your favorite book or movie. What impressed you about it? I'm sure the setting, time period, narration, and plot were important, but the characters are who linger in your mind. Take the time to ensure your characters are credible, colorful, and bigger than life. Learn their back story. Construct a vocabulary unique to them. Pay careful attention to the exterior and interior landscape of those unforgettable characters. When you know your character inside and out then your conflict and plot will happen naturally." DiAnn 03/02

"If you haven't already established a mission statement, take the time to pray and explore God's word for those nuggets of scripture He intends for your ministry. Include the verse or verses that speak overall of your writing, list those that generally speak to how you view your craft, and then add those that deal with the passion of your ministry. Keep your mission statement handy for those moments when you need a touch of encouragement." DiAnn 12/01