Writing

Have you ever considered how many books, movies, and songs revolve around love as a central aspect? It's hard to name a fiction book that doesn't have some sort of romance in it. But is a romantic subplot really necessary? And why is it such a huge part of literature? Since Valentine's Day is just past us, I thought I'd share my thoughts on this, and I'd love to hear your opinion in the comments! In John 15:12, God commands us to " Love one another as I have loved you ." Obv

My week had been a nightmare. Between sickness spreading, friends in the hospital, funerals, gloomy weather, and appointments, it felt like nothing good was happening. I was also nearing the end of a fun online writing program, which meant that week I’d have to say goodbye to my new friends and go back to writing whenever I wasn’t busy – which lately, wasn’t often. More than that, I felt like God wasn’t answering any of my prayers. From the beginning of November, I’d been pra

This poem just came to me as I was thinking about how much I love summer. I saw a picture that just said "Dear Summer, you are my favorite" and kind of built the poem around that. I hope it reminds you of all of your fun summer memories and all the memories you'll make next year! Dear Summer, I miss you. I miss your sun shining on my face. I miss your breeze blowing through my hair. I miss the feeling of calm I get on starry nights And the excitement that comes with each new

I decided to try my hand at writing poetry, so I connected with some people who write poetry and asked them for tips on how to start. I got a bunch of advice from really helpful friends, including: read poetry try different styles it doesn't have to rhyme! meter doesn't have to be perfect you don't always need to be perfectly understood with the first read-through don't get stressed about whether it'll sound great just start writing it and see what happens So I took their adv

“Could you please repeat the question?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. He leaned forward, his silhouette illuminated by the red lights behind him – the only light source in the room. “What is the FDIC?” She struggled to keep her breathing steady. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed a sign to her left. Red letters illuminated the message WE WILL FIND YOU OUT. No , she reminded herself as her heart rate sped up. Stay confident. Don’t let them get to you. You ca

I’ve met so many aspiring writers who are absolutely amazing at crafting a world from nothing. Me? I tend to procrastinate like crazy when it comes to world-building. Something about it has always seemed daunting, but it's an essential part of writing any genre. Here are a couple things I've learned about the process of world-building. Photo Credit: Artem Sapegin, Unsplash It's not just for fantasy According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, world-building is "the creation o

I recently got a publication rejection, and I was really sad about it because I thought the paper I wrote was good enough. But it just wasn't what the publishers were looking for, and I had to accept that. I was talking to a friend about how I felt and she said, "Just know that getting rejected doesn't mean your writing is bad." I took a deep breath, edited my paper, and moved on. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about resilience and faith, and whether the two go together. Fo

When it comes to writing, I'm by no means a professional, but from creating ideas for 100+ writing projects, I've discovered a thing or two about writing characters. These are just a few ideas for when you're struggling with finding the identity of a character. When you're finished reading this post, share your own tips with others in the comments. Test It Out One of my favorite things to do (and perhaps one of the most nerdy too) is take a personality test as my character. A

Written November 2, 2024 Dear Marlow, I am finally here at the King’s castle. Marlow, you have to come here – its majesty and splendor is breathtaking beyond imagination! The trek here was long, rocky, and hard. My legs burned, my feet blistered, and my throat was sore from ragged breathing. But it is all worth it now – and the King Himself was helping me all along. He came to my city, to invite us to follow Him. He said He would save us from all of the hurt and pain that we