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Rose Sheffler wrote a new post, 3 Ways to Avoid Overwhelming Yourself (or Readers) with Crazy Worldbuilding 3 months, 1 week ago
Worldbuilding is, at its core, an imaginative divergence from reality that begins with a question. It’s most integral to fantasy, science fiction, and Dungeon Masters, but regardless of the genre (or r […]
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Rose Sheffler wrote a new post, How to Write Romance Like Jane Austen 4 months, 2 weeks ago
All writers and readers have an opinion on literary tropes—which ones they like, dislike, and think are overdone, as well as those that reserve the author (or consumer) a spot in the third circle of h […]
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, 3 Ways Fanfiction Helped Me Grow as a Writer 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Jenna, I’m so glad this piece brought some joy and encouragement to your day! Keep writing and Godspeed!
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, Loving John Wilson 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Thank you, Clara.
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, Loving John Wilson 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Thanks, Martin.
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Rose Sheffler wrote a new post, 3 Ways Fanfiction Helped Me Grow as a Writer 4 months, 3 weeks ago
For writers, especially “serious” writers, fanfiction can feel like the elephant in the room. Everyone is aware of it, and many of us have tiptoed into it. Yet, because of the stigma that clings to it, we avo […]
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, Christian Stories Don’t Need to Be Deep and Philosophical 5 months, 1 week ago
Abriana, I think some of the most compelling works of Christian fictions wouldn’t be recognized under the Christian Market criteria. (When was the last time you saw Anna Karenina advertised as a Christian novel?) Clean reads are necessary and good, but they don’t have to be “Christian.” Keep writing and pursue that joy in creation!
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, The Biggest Lie We Believe about Strong Female Protagonists 5 months, 1 week ago
Thanks for reading, Melissa. You’re brother sister team sounds refreshing! What a great way to have different perspectives. Shad is the BEST. Reality speaks to people. Keep at it and Godspeed.
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Rose Sheffler wrote a new post, The Biggest Lie We Believe about Strong Female Protagonists 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Strong women, as they’re portrayed in a lot of fiction and films, have a problem. They act like men (albeit hot men with curvy bodies and perfect hair, teeth, and nails).
This bothers me, and it should bo […] -
Rose Sheffler commented on the post, Christian Stories Don’t Need to Be Deep and Philosophical 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Rachel, thanks for reading and I hope this encourages you to pursue the stories you want and need to write, even if they’re less serious. Good luck!
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, Christian Stories Don’t Need to Be Deep and Philosophical 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Anne, imitation is the highest form of flattery. In the end, we all imitate God in our process of sub-creation through writing. The most simple things often are the truest reflection of Truth and Beauty. Godspeed!
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, Christian Stories Don’t Need to Be Deep and Philosophical 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Emily, I’m happy to have written it then! Take comfort and keep writing.
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Rose Sheffler wrote a new post, Christian Stories Don’t Need to Be Deep and Philosophical 6 months ago
Many of us sit down at our desks with a list of criteria we believe we must meet before we can be confident that we’re honoring God with our writing. Our stories need to be thought-provoking, spiritual, and c […]
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Amazing article, Rose! Thanks so much for this reassurance…
It’s so easy for me to compare my books to Lewis and Andrew Peterson and Lloyd Alexander and all the writers I want to be like.
This was a good reminder that I should want to be like them… but not in the sense of writing what they’ve already written. I want to be like them in the sense that I also want my writing to be a reflection of truth and beauty.-
Anne, imitation is the highest form of flattery. In the end, we all imitate God in our process of sub-creation through writing. The most simple things often are the truest reflection of Truth and Beauty. Godspeed!
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Thank you so much! I write YA historical fiction and historical fantasy, and sometimes it’s easy to look at all the “serious” stories and wonder what purpose mine have and whether I’m wasting my time.
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Rachel, thanks for reading and I hope this encourages you to pursue the stories you want and need to write, even if they’re less serious. Good luck!
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Emily, I’m happy to have written it then! Take comfort and keep writing.
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A very reassuring and encouraging article. I’ve never had any talent for writing Christian fiction (fiction that would meet all the criteria for the Christian market) but I have always been talented in writing fiction that would (hopefully) be classified as a “clean read”. I enjoy writing clean reads for the general market, and want my writing to be acceptable for all ages–not necessarily something every person in the world would like, but no explicit sexual activity, violence, or language.
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Abriana, I think some of the most compelling works of Christian fictions wouldn’t be recognized under the Christian Market criteria. (When was the last time you saw Anna Karenina advertised as a Christian novel?) Clean reads are necessary and good, but they don’t have to be “Christian.” Keep writing and pursue that joy in creation!
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, How to Detect and Fix a Flat Main Character 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Joelle, I would suggest you ask yourself really difficult questions about this MC. Like, If she’s uninteresting, why are you telling her story? What about her makes YOU interested? It might be you’re struggling to communicate that interest to others. Or it might be that she has no compelling personality. Why should we connect to her? This is NOT…[Read more]
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Rose Sheffler wrote a new post, How to Detect and Fix a Flat Main Character 6 months, 3 weeks ago
A month ago, I had a shocking revelation about my current work-in-progress: my main character lacked a distinguishable personality and clear motives. I’d spent over a year on the story and written almost 100,000 w […]
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Awesome article, Rose!! I’m having trouble with a
MC no one cares about and is honestly not very interesting. Do you have any tips on developing good charries/finding her quirks and voice?
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Joelle, I would suggest you ask yourself really difficult questions about this MC. Like, If she’s uninteresting, why are you telling her story? What about her makes YOU interested? It might be you’re struggling to communicate that interest to others. Or it might be that she has no compelling personality. Why should we connect to her? This is NOT an easy thing to do. Trust me, I know. My MC was also super uninteresting and I replaced her. She’s still in the story, just no longer the star. If you want to chat more, feel free to email me! (rjsheffler@gmail.com) Godspeed!
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Thanks for the advice!! 🙂
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, 3 Reasons Why Traditional Heroes Still Matter 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Chris! Yes, I would agree that Aragorn is a great example of this. Thanks for reading
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, 3 Reasons Why Traditional Heroes Still Matter 11 months, 2 weeks ago
We all love a good hero. I’m glad you enjoyed this.
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, 4 Factors to Consider Before Including Physical Manifestations of God in Fiction 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Bethania, I 100% agree. I do the same in my writing.
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, 4 Factors to Consider Before Including Physical Manifestations of God in Fiction 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Well said Jenny. I think God is a very surprising Being on the whole.
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Rose Sheffler commented on the post, 4 Factors to Consider Before Including Physical Manifestations of God in Fiction 11 months, 2 weeks ago
You’re so welcome, Joelle! Thanks for your enthusiasm and I hope you found the series uplifting
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