Opening Lines/Marketing Secrets/Movies/Celebration/Thrifting

1.  Do you want to hook your reader? Zoe M. McCarthy instructs us to look for the mystery in the opening line of our books.

2.  Wow! Edie Melson delivers some great book marketing secrets. Check them out here.

3.  Did you see The Passion of the Christ? Christian Headlines reports Mel Gibson's next project may be a sequel, covering the resurrection.

4.  Dena Netherton celebrates an answer to a 40-year prayer.

                                                                                                     

5.  For all the collectors out there, A La Carte shares her Friday Finds. So much fun to see what she found thrifting!

Writers:  What was your favorite book marketing secret?

Readers:  Are you a movie buff? What did you think of Mel Gibson's plan to do a movie on the resurrection?

Photo Credit:  Debbie Schiel

Writing Craft/Resilient Writer/Trafficking/Parenting/Facebook Policy

1.  Zoe M. McCarthy gives examples on How to Write Infrequent Phrases. I should print this one out - very useful.

2.  Writing takes a great deal of perseverance. Edie Melson, at The Write Conversation, says, "Become a Resilient Writer by Remembering these 15 Things."

3.  Human trafficking is a widespread problem. WND reports on a girl, who escaped her Boko Haram captors. She's urging everyone to keep working on freeing those kidnapped.

4.  Parenting is a daunting task. Maria Morgan shares, "Sometimes Blunders Bring Blessings."

5.  Writers on Facebook need this article on how Facebook's new policy on Branded Content will affect them. Edie Melson once again comes to the rescue and clarifies the issue for us.

Writers:  What are some of the ways you handle the ups and downs of the writing life?

Readers:  Have you noticed more articles on the subject of human trafficking? Did you know there are organizations that raise awareness and provide aid to the victims? What are your thoughts on the subject?

Photo Credit:  Zach Davis

Tips/Freedom/Blogging/Covers/Potatoes

 

1.  David Bruns guest posts at Writer Unboxed. He gives 6 Writing Techniques he learned at Storymasters, which was taught by Chris Vogler, James Scott Bell, and Donald Maas.

2.  I like to keep updated on religious freedom issues. One of my go-to organizations is The Family Research Council. In a recent email, they reported on infringements to religious liberty ranging from the military to a little girl being told she couldn't mention God or scripture in her homework because of government policy.

3.  Edie Melson, at The Write Conversation, talks about the top blogging mistakes made by authors. I think this has value whether you're an author or not.

4.  The title of this post intrigued me, and although it was long, I finished the whole thing. We all know book covers can make or break our masterpieces. Check out this story at Working Writers and Bloggers, by Nicolette Pierce.

5.  Jean Fischer, at Something to Write Home About, shares how a potato launched her writing career.

Writers:  How did you discover you were a writer?

Readers:  Do book covers influence your buying decisions? Please share.

Photo Credit:  Krappweis

Pitch/Rescue/Blog/Devos

1. With conference season upon us, crafting a dynamite elevator pitch may make the difference between a request for a full or partial proposal and being sent home empty handed. Writers In The Storm give excellent instructions on how to produce a great one or two sentence pitch.

2.  Fox News star, Greta Van Susteran, goes all out to rescue Christians - She notes that her parents' generation said they didn't know what was happening to the Jews. Our generation cannot use that excuse. We see the evidence every day on the news and through the Internet. Check out this insightful article.

3.  Do you want people to find your blog? Edie Melson, at The Write Conversation, gives valuable information on how to find labels and tags that will make the search engines sit up and take notice.

4.  Susan Panzica, at Eternity Cafe, wrote an insightful post on How Can I Know God's Will? I think you'll find it helpful.

5.  Marja Meijers, at Fresh Insights On Ancient Truths, talks about restored relationships.

Writers:  Do you have a one or two sentence pitch for your manuscript? Please share any tips you have on producing one.

Readers:  If you blog, what kinds of tags and labels do you use?

Photo Credit:  ilco

Up, Up, and Away!

At one time, I lived in an area where we'd occasionally see a colorful hot-air balloon. Everyone would stop what they were doing and gaze at the sight.

Sometimes I surf the Net, drifting through cyberspace until I reach a pleasant landing spot. Here are some of the websites I've found in my travels:

1. Edie Melson, at The Write Conversation, gives tips on how to keep your writing on track during the holidays.

2. I stayed on Edie's site, The Write Conversation, and found a great article on the correct usage for quotation marks. This one gets bookmarked on my computer!

3.Wendy Paine Miller, of Thoughts That Move, asks us why we read fiction.

Writers and Readers:  Why do you read fiction?


Photo Credit:  sloopjohnb