Brilliant

For Writers

Going Against the Trend

I’m not Amish. Or a wanna-be Amish. I’m not even an ex-Amish. I attended a Mennonite college for four years, but I’m not Mennonite. I grew up in Japan, but I’m not Japanese. I’ve lived twenty-four years in Durham, North Carolina, I eat grits and make my own sweet tea, but I’m not a real Southerner. I’m an outsider. I know what it’s like to look into cultures and subcultures from the outside.

Genre Happenings

Time for New Beginnings by Mary Ellis New series from Harvest House

What are readers of Amish fiction looking for? They want uplifting stories they can wrap themselves in to separate briefly from their normal lives. They want cultural accuracy, respect for the sect, positive endings, and spiritual growth among the characters. Amish fiction allows readers to step outside their own worlds and into a life that’s simpler and slower paced. Although most Amish books involve horses, buggies, and bonnets, and often include courting, rumschpringe, and differences between sects, readers expect writers to have their own “voice.”

DiAnn Direct

Auditioning for POV

Finding the perfect point-of-view character for a novel is like a movie audition. Everyone wants to be a star, but not everyone is hero, heroine, or villain material. Some characters aren’t motivated enough to rise to the top. How do you choose who will carry the lead roles in your novel? I suggest having the characters complete a questionnaire before you invest energy into a lengthy character sketch, personality testing, and a deep psychological workup.

The Well Writer

A Year in Review

It’s been one year since the first The Well Writer article appeared in this awesome Christian Fiction Online Magazine. It’s been a wonderful year of encouragement, information, and thought-provoking questions regarding multiple aspects of your health. The team approached questions in a number of different and creative ways.

Author By Night

In the Wee Hours

Can you still call yourself an “Author by Night” if you rise in the wee morning hours at 5:00 a.m. while it’s still pitch-dark outside, pound out your thousand words for the day by noon, then switch hats to one of those other income streams an author may have? Mine include freelance editing, teaching various writing workshops, and occasionally being a keynote speaker. On top of that, I’ve still got one kid at home (out of three), one husband, one dog, and two demanding cats.