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How to Triple Your Writing Speed in One Day
At the beginning of May 2021, I maxed out my schedule. That may sound stressful, but it was actually a happy occasion. I began a new job I felt good about. The sad part? I lost writing time. Thankfully, I prepared for the shift in my routine months beforehand. If I could only work on projects during the evenings and Saturdays, I knew I’d slip into a pattern of releasing books three or more years apart—especially considering the complexity and monstrous size of my epic fantasy novels. I didn’t want to make readers (or myself!) wait that long.
Podcast #79: Finale: Navigating Change as a Writer
To celebrate the last five years of the podcast and to reflect on this big season of change for Story Embers, host James Noller sits down with Josiah DeGraaf, Mariposa Aristeo, and Daeus Lamb to discuss how to navigate seasons of change as a writer. They dig deep to share personal stories of change in their own writing journeys. They give heartfelt advice on what to do when your writing practice doesn’t look the same as it used to during big life transitions, as well as what to do when you are changing as a writer.
Yes, Your Writing Really Is a Gift for Others
When you think of Christmas shopping, visions of toys, jewelry, clothes, and candy probably dance in your head. That’s if you’re a normal human being. If you’re a little weird and a lot nerdy, you get starry-eyed over Lord of the Rings mugs, graphic T-shirts with famous literary quotes, and stacks of books as tall as skyscrapers. I’m guessing that everyone reading this falls into the latter category. Am I right?
Podcast #78: How to Craft Memorable Characters (with Amanda Dykes, Laurie Lucking, and Faith Blum)
Join Christian authors Amanda Dykes, Laurie Lucking, and Faith Blum as they share advice on how to make characters unique from each other, how to write redemption arcs, how to tackle character dialogue, where to put in character descriptions, and more!
Why Realistic Motives Alone Don’t Create Believable Villains
As long as a villain has a reason for his wicked behavior, he’ll seem real. Right? Or will he? Shoppers grow hungry but don’t steal. Bank tellers get angry but don’t beat up customers. Hardships tempt people to commit crimes daily, but they control themselves.
Podcast #77: How to Craft Impactful Themes (with Kerry Nietz, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Lori Z. Scott)
Listen to expert advice from Christian authors Kerry Nietz, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Lori Z. Scott as they show you how to discover the theme of your story, how to write about God authentically in fiction, how to know when you’re experienced enough to tackle a theme, how to create realistic and subtle character arcs that convey a theme, and much more!
Podcast #76: Building Suspense that Grips Readers (with JJ Fischer, Ann Marie Stewart, and CJ Milacci)
Join award-winning authors J.J. Fischer, Ann Marie Stewart, and C.J. Milacci as they reveal how to build suspense in every chapter of your novel, how to turn sagging middles into tension-pounding scenes, how suspense works differently in romance vs. action stories, and much more!
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