This never fails to bring us great satisfaction: to see a book go full circle from the author’s experience to the reader’s experience. From insights and observations that captured the writer’s imagination, heart and mind—to words presented artfully on the pages of a book, reaching readers and capturing their imaginations, hearts and minds!
For Writers: Ten Ways Poetry Can Improve Your Prose Writing poetry develops skills of concise wording (something we editors like!). The writing (and reading) of poetry can sharpen your observation skills. Because syntax matters in poetry, you will improve in your understanding of syntax matters. Figures of speech used in poetry teach you finer subtleties…
Meet Jeanie Flierl, author of the novel, To Conquer A Mountain. My questions are in color. Jeanie’s answers will give you a glimpse of the heart of this warm, talented woman. Welcome, Jeanie. Thank you for the opportunity to ask you a few questions. First, I’d like to know: In your novel, the main character,…
“A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.” ~Robert Frost
“People who pray, need to learn poetry.” ~Eugene Peterson
“To elevate the soul, poetry is necessary.” ~Edgar Allen Poe
“A good poet tries to lead you into universal experience by leading you into a shot of concrete experience–one flower, one frog…That’s what it takes to pull you into the depth of everything.” ~Richard Rohr
Looking to attend a Writers Conference? Consider the wonderful setting, great staff and faculty, and nurturing atmosphere of the Colorado Christian Writers Conference May 17-20 in Estes Park, Colorado. It’s coming soon—next week, in fact. We’ll be there, meeting with prospective authors and teaching workshops. We’d like to meet you there. A few other reasons…
Are you listening, in prayer, to what the Lord may be asking you to do? Are you watching for His answers?
Yes, so aware these days that “darkly we peer through the glass.” Praying for “vision to transcend the obstructive…”
I taught from the following list at a recent writers workshop. Afterwards, a couple of wide-eyed writers said to me, “You really want good writing.” Well, yes, I do! The better-written a manuscript comes to me, the more I like it. Here at Cladach we may resonate with the premise and material of a nonfiction…
These troublesome words tend to hide like gremlins in our writing (especially in fiction, but also nonfiction). We often use these words compulsively, but often they aren’t needed. Remember, less is more. Conciseness makes better, stronger, clearer writing. Do a search for—and delete unnecessary uses of—the following: very just that nice interesting look / looked…
Christina Slike talked with John Buzzard, author of That Day by the Creek, which was a 2016 Foreword Indies Book of the Year finalist. Here is their conversation: CS: Hello, John. I’m wondering what inspired you to write a novel based on the events of the infamous Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 Colorado? JB: I’ve…