More than Writers

 The Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:17) reads like this… doesn’t it? Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor thy neighbour getting his/her book being published.   This is going to be a difficult post to write, because it’s a painful subject.    You long, with all consuming passion, to have your book published.  You’ve laboured over it for (probably) years.  You’ve lived with the characters and they are as real to you as your own family.  You’ve strained after authenticity.  You’ve edited, waking up in the middle of the night thinking about how you could phrase a piece of dialogue better.  You’ve submitted your book here, there and everywhere and you’re starting to believe that no publisher will ever accept it.  Then you hear that a publisher has accepted a friend’s book.   Let’s not mince words. This is gut wren...

Image Credits: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. With this title, I know I’m preaching to the converted here, literally! But books are amazing in every format. I owe a huge debt to my late mother for encouraging my love of books early. I also think every writer, especially of fiction aimed at adults, needs to appreciate what children’s authors do because they grow our audience.  Most readers come from a background of having always loved reading. That’s fabulous. What is tricky is persuading those who don’t read for pleasure, or see the point of it, to discover the wonderful world of books for themselves, especially as adults. How do we persuade people there are books for everyone? How do we persuade people Christian fiction and non-fiction can add to their faith by sharing insights in different ways? I have known people who would only read the Bible, for instance. I always thought (and still think) they miss out on special writing by not reading, say, C.S. Lewis or...

  ANOTHER ACW ICON: INTERVIEW Below are just a few   of the questions I asked Author Donna! Your Favourite Things: 1.      What’s your favourite literary movie? “Babette’s Feast”. It’s a beautifully made movie, but the thing that knocked me off my feet the first time I saw it was that when all these cold, squabbling people gathered around all this amazing food and drink they found togetherness and healing and it just hit me—“This is Eucharist!” 2.      What’s your favourite hot drink? Tea! Especially Yorkshire Gold loose with just a little milk (almond because I’m allergic to dairy) 3.      What’s your favourite hobby or leisure? Gardening. After a day of writing at my desk I love to go out to my rose garden and enjoy the scent and beauty and feel the sun warm on my head. So relaxing. So close to God. And, of course, reading. I love settling down with a good novel. The irony for most writers is that we...

This is rather a ramble of thoughts and feelings..... I've found myself reflecting recently about awards (or the lack of.) The joy and sense of validation that must come from being considered worthy of an award for one's work.  The motivation to keep on writing.  The sense of YES!  On browsing through the ACW feed I'm always thrilled to share the joy of those who have won awards or been shortlisted.  Whether it's the ACW awards, winning writing competitions, reaching shortlists, or receiving wonderful opportunities and accreditations, it's fabulous to celebrate what's been achieved. Having read many of the works of ACW members I know those awards are so merited.  There's some incredible writing talent in our group and if I were with you I'd be cheering you and opening the champagne!  But the silly thing is, I don't even know how awards come about! Do so many nominations come in for a particular work or author that they push that person up the scale o...

The Book Blest Christian Book Festival takes place on Friday 6 th  and Saturday 7 th  September with a stellar lineup of authors. You might recognise some of their names: Martin Leckebush, Susan Sutherland, Letitia Mason, Fiona Linday, Mike Peacock, Andy March, Philip S Davies, Eve Bonham, Karen Martin, Neil Obbard, Paul Wreyford, Maressa Mortimer and Brendan Conboy (yes, that’s me). To find out more about each of these authors  visit the website here. This year, the ACW presence will be strong as Jane Walters kicks off each day with a short devotional and will be available throughout the festival to answer any ACW-related questions. Adrian Plass (ACW President) and his wife, Bridget will join us on Friday for an evening of both hilarious and serious tales. This is a pay-as-you-feel event; you can book your tickets here or just turn up. Each of the authors has a story to tell, to encourage others to write or indeed to read. With stories such as life as a sniper, li...

  I was looking for inspiration for my personal blog  this month and I found myself ruminating on the title of the blog in general. It is great! Of course we are more than writers. We are here because we write, but that is not all we do. Some of us are parents, or spouses, or grandparents, or carers. Some of us volunteer, have other strings to our bows, serve in church, are involved in community life. Some of us even have to work – work that actually pays a decent wage! Sometimes it is hard to juggle all that we do, and writing often comes last in our list of priorities. Unless you are one of the very blessed people who does actually earn a decent income from their writing! But that isn’t just what More Than Writers means is it? Well not my interpretation of the title anyway. What connects us here is more than the fact that we love to write. What makes this space special is that we are connected by something much greater than even writing. We all profess a living faith in ...

  Points of View by Rebecca Seaton   There is much debate about the best way to narrate a story. The Point of View, or POV, is critical to this. Deciding on a point, or points, of view will determine the type of experience your reader has. Up close and personal. Some authors opt for first person as the point of view, putting the protagonist in the driving seat. For added effect, some writers also use present tense. For something like a thriller, this can heighten the tension dramatically as the reader is carried by the extreme emotions of the main character. However, disadvantages are that this can limit the overall view of what is happening. Again, a writer may happily swap that in for the immediacy and ability for the reader to empathise with their hero or heroine but there is a trade-off. Omniscient overview Let’s admit it, we writers like to play god! The third-person omniscient viewpoint enables the writer to show the reader their world. I use this writing fan...

It’s a common observation about parenthood that from day one you are learning to let go of your child. Losing the physical closeness of breast or bottle feeding and embracing the messy years of teaching children to use cutlery; dropping your child off for that terrifying first day at nursery or school.    Then the middle years, full of children developing their own independence: when they stop holding your hand, cycle faster than you can run, choose their own clothes, take a bus by themselves or go out for a meal with friends.  And then the scariest of all, the late teens when they learn to drive and maybe even leave home for good (or at least until rents force them home again!). All parents go through it. We know it’s a natural, necessary process and our job is to make it as easy as possible, and not allow our children to see our regrets.  Writing is similar, albeit over a shorter time period (I write slowly, but not 18 years slowly!). The idea of what to write,...