Children love secrets, and a secret or a mystery can make a great plot, or add to one. Even if your main plot has nothing to do with a secret, it can add . . .

If we are going to write engaging and relevant Christian stories for children and teens, we need to be able to express deep emotions in the characters we create.

Some of us are afraid . . .

Freewriting is a technique where for a set period of time you sit down and just write. Continuously. No pausing, no editing. It’s a great way to write the first draft of your novel, but ten to twenty minutes freewriting every day on a different topic is a great way to get into the swing of writing . . .

I’ve recently been (slowly!) putting together 50 of the top tips from this blog into a little ebook. I thought it might be helpful to have some of the most useful in one place, to easily refer to? What I’ve done is pick out the ones I think would be the most helpful, edit them, improve them and in some places put two or three together. It’s been a nice little project . . .

We all need encouragement. Sometimes our encouragement comes directly from the Lord and his word. Sometimes his encouragement comes indirectly through other people. Sometimes we have to do what David once did when faced with a difficult situation . . .

Metaphors and Similes . . . what’s the Difference? You probably use both in your writing without even thinking . . . but if you did think about them, maybe you could use them in even better ways? (Plus of course you can dazzle your friends at parties with your knowledge, hehe!)

Most of you will know that similes and metaphors are a form of figurative language, used to build up a picture in readers’ minds, create atmosphere and add interest. The Bible is full of both. But do you know . . .

In stories for children and young adults, it’s important that it’s the young people themselves who win through, with little (or no) adult help. They are the ones who should be . . .

One of our writers in the Monthly Membership Programme said to me recently, “I have no shortage of ideas but I am easily put off or distracted. A fault of mine, I think.”

Hmm, I don’t think that’s an unusual problem – I think we all

Today I am delighted to bring you 3 tips from author of The Ticking Box, Rev Mark Cowling! After successfully completing the Write for a Reason course, Mark was determined to use his gift and get his stories into print. He has now sold more than 600 copies of his first book . . .

I recently had a week’s break in the beautiful Lake District, in the north of England. Arthur Ransome set many of his Swallows and Amazons novels there, which I read and re-read as a child, always hoping the next one in the series would be . . .