My apologies for not blogging as usual this week! Time got away from me and “baby brain” is in full force, with #4 due in just a couple weeks now! Here are the links for this week – tons of writing advice in this edition of Simmer Starters.
Conflict is an Opportunity for Grace (David Mathis, DesiringGod Blog) – Ugh, as a conflict-averse INFJ, I need to hear this! “We’re quick to believe the lie that if we just avoid the conflict, or at least minimize it, then it will diminish over time and eventually go away. But wisdom speaks a different word.”
We All Will Be Surprised on Judgment Day (Mark Altrogge) – Encouraging words I ran across just this morning. “All those diapers you change, all those stories you tell your kids at night, all those rides you give to the volleyball tournament—all will be rewarded. Every dollar you give to the poor, every visit to the nursing home, every trip to the hospital to see that sick brother, every long morning with the 3-year-olds in Children’s Ministry, every meal you take that family with the newborn, every word of consolation, every text to encourage, every prayer for that hurting believer—you do to Jesus himself and he won’t forget the smallest act of kindness. After all, he remembers every cup of water we give in his name.”
Nightmares 101 (Melissa J. Troutman) – Tips on writing nightmares for your characters and using your own experience with nightmares to draw from for your fiction.
Is Your Story Primal? (Kristen Lamb) – Good advice here about finding the real core of your story. “Good storytellers connect with the audience on a basic level. So when you whittle down that idea or novel into a one-sentence log-line, step back and be honest. Does your story hinge on primal drives like survival, hunger, sex, protection of loved ones, or fear of death? Does it have physical and or emotional stakes? Your story might seem complex, but at the core it should be very basic and connect at a visceral level.”
On Writing Well (Tim Challies) – Good advice here too! Just general writing advice, geared toward non-fiction but completely applicable to fiction writers as well.
How the Perfect Midpoint Moves Your Protagonist from Reaction to Action (K.M. Weiland) – I found this helpful, and maybe you will too!
8 Pieces of Advice for Writers (Nadine Brandes) – The title is self-explanatory. 🙂
I love to hear your thoughts!