**Smooths hair and tshirt**

Ahem.

Yikes! I am REALLY late.

I actually accomplished my goals this week:
1) Finish outlining my next novella
2) Survive my first week at my new job

I’ll go ahead and post my goals for the week of Jan 21:

1) Write the first chapter of the novella (1500 – 2500 words)
2) Prepare to lead…[Read more]

I am WAAAY late to this conversation, and I both agree and disagree with the statement “you shouldn’t worry too much about how to write a story that glorifies God because if you’re a Christian you can’t help but express your love for the God you know.”

Here’s why:

I DISAGREE because you can’t ‘drift’  or ‘coast’ into a God glorif…[Read more]

I do indeed have the ability to shift, though it has its limits. I must have something in my possession that belongs to the creature or person I wish to become.

*Takes another sip and glances around the hall*

Did I hear someone is looking for a scrapyard?…[Read more]

*peers around the room at the the tea cups and tankards*

Hmmm. This looks like a welcoming gathering of creatures.

*flips back hood and steps forward*

*forgets floor is wet and she is in heels. immediately looses footing*

Might I request a cup of coffFFeeeEEEee…Oof! I’m all right. I’m all…[Read more]

The wine instantly soaks through his shirt making it nearly transparent. He pulls the wet cotton away from his skin, and the Sigil of Serch Bythol is no l…[Read more]

**sees 2019 on the calendar**

Wow. 2018 disappeared quickly, and left a lot of lessons in its wake. All of which I am very grateful for, and the holidays are always a bit chaotic for us since “no” doesn’t seem to be a word we know how to use in this house…

**Makes note to get better at that**

Anyway….Because I started December…[Read more]

**sad trombone**

However, I do agree that the forum threads themselves are confusing, and I get lost…but I do that IRL so take that for what it…[Read more]

Sorry that I popped into your critique thread. If I missed an etiquette, please excuse my newness.

I am sure you’ve already updated the document with all the previously mentioned suggestions, but I wanted to add my two cents. (And that’s about all my comments are worth. =))

I like the story and the premise. I made notes inline and agree with what has already been suggested. Great job.

1. Characters. What do you think? Though there is quite the cast with the family and Aeldń, but you did a great job of giving them all a place in the scene without overwhelming the reader with descriptions and bouncing dialog. I like Ashtwyn’s character and her journey in this scene, and I REALLY wa…[Read more]

**opens freezer door**

**Stares at two tubs indecisively**

Vanilla or Ben and Jerry’s Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz?

**shrugs and grabs both containers**

Vanilla is usually my go to. It pairs well with almost any other dessert. Pie? Yes. Ala mode, please. Cookies? Make sandwiches. Root beer? Float some on top! Like…[Read more]

I am only in the beginnings of working out how to use all these educated techniques before I start to write a story rather than relying on my developmental editor to help me fix it later. Thankfully, she is a patient soul! =…[Read more]

I can’t wait to get to know everyone. I already know I’m going to learn a lot.

I’M SO EXCITED!

**covers mouth**

Sorry. I’ll eventually learn to use my inside voice. I get loud when I get excited.

**shrugs apologetically**

@catwing – I’ve been hanging out on the general boards for a month or so and finally got accepted into this amazing…[Read more]

I MADE IT!

**slaps hand over her mouth and waits wide eyed for the echo to die off**

**whispers**

Sorry. I get loud when I’m excited. I hope I didn’t frighten anyone.

So. I’ve read the thread…

**folds hands behind back and drags her toe in the dirt**

I’ve never participated in full role play before. Like, at all.

BUT – I am…[Read more]

I’ve been super busy and haven’t had time to respond or even read all the responses. **insert joy for having a wonderfully full life** I plan to get caught up this weekend.

However, I do have to take a moment to say I agree with @hope-ann. You put into words the convictions I have come to live by yet hadn’t been able to fully…[Read more]

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/

I am not a cold weather person, but your poem puts me in the mood for all the great things of fall.

=) I love your style.

It is so true that we have to follow our God-given gifts and convictions before engaging deeply in these topics. We have to know not only what we believe, but WHY we believe it. It took me a lot of research and study to solidify what I believe, and my beliefs only got fi…[Read more]

I’m starting to see a theme… Our reluctance to address these topics appears to stem from a reluctance to leave the perceived safety of our evangelical friends/community to actually engage with people we are supposed to be evangelizing. =)

Can you define what you mean by ‘hard limits?’

As a Christian, I believe we must all r…[Read more]

I honestly never thought about the expectation of Christian Fiction being suitable for children, but you…[Read more]

That. All of it.

Thank you for wording it so perfectly.  I wouldn’t attempt to add a thing.

I was starting to think I was the only one, and that is what I was praying I would find here at SE.

Thank you, sir. I give you the highest of salutes. (And, I humbly request to be…[Read more]

I appreciate everyone’s…[Read more]

It would/does require a lot of research to write about these things. Mostly to avoid perpetuating stereotypes or misinformation. =) Nine years should give you plenty of time. =)

@sarah-inkdragon – 

I think you and @daeus-lamb nailed the reason on the head. In general, Christians as a whole don’t want to or don’t know how to engage with these topics. And those of us who do engage must be careful not to allow the world’s vi…[Read more]

Why not in fiction?

Abuse, alcohol, pre- and extra- marital…[Read more]

This is gold! Thank you. =) I will definitely check out the Superpower Wiki. I didn’t know such a thing existed.

I like the sound of conpathic. I think I can make that work. They would be noted as able to “influence the others to feel with them.” Yeah. I like that a lot.

I’ll credit you if it makes it past my editor. =)

Thank you! Google was no help, and in all the stories I’ve read, I couldn’t remember anything like it. =)

This is consistent with the way I have built their species, and fits with their culture.

However, I have discovered that there are two types:

1) The commonly understood empath who senses and reacts/responds to the emotions…[Read more]

I try very hard NOT to use swear words in my writing, and I work hard to find options around it, until doing so would be disingenuous to the character and/or the story. Using “He cursed.” or “She swore.” works 99% of…[Read more]

As the one oddball female who doesn’t particularly care for chocolate, the loss of HOT chocolate would be no biggie. =)

However, though there is no FIRE, there can still be sources of heat. Off the top of my head…

• Chemical reactions
• Friction
• A fantasy substance or creature…

[Read more]

When you are working on your character sketches, do you use the MB or Enneagram to flesh out their personalities? Do you find that helps you figure out how the character ‘works?’

If you’ve taken the RHETI test, what was your result? I’m a VERY solid 9w1. (The Peacemaker with The Reformer wing.)

We are in the Columbus area about once a month during hockey season. =) I’m a huge Jackets fan.

The research I did for the books was mostly reading articles, studying statistics, and following police reports and articles. But I don’t know anyone who has been in the specific situations I wrote about.

For Saving Detroit, I drew a lot…[Read more]

I don’t shy away from reading graphic scenes, and I fully believe they have a place in certain stories and genres. However, the stories that always impacted me the most were the ones that weren’t…[Read more]

You spelled it perfectly. =) I hope you picked up the first in the series for free.

One reason I enjoy writing fantasy is that I am kind of lazy. Fantasy allows me to play with the edges of what is real without worrying if my facts are right. =) I also like mucking around with…[Read more]

@daeus-lamb – I love the way language is so fluid, I enjoy figuring out how to say things from a different angle depending on the context and who is listening. I certainly wasn’t meaning to correct, more of a clarification, maybe? =)

And BTW – thank you for all the work you do! Keeping an organization like this running…[Read more]

I read two different thoughts:

1) If the success is gained by someone whose writing does NOT honor God, you would not be jealous of their level of success PERSONALLY, but on behalf of all Christian writers, and you would want a fellow Christ honoring author to attain he same level success even if it is not you. As others have…[Read more]