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Write for a Reason

creative writing tips

Redeeming the Tough Times

Cold, snowy day

Hello my Writer Friends, Are you going through a difficult time right now? I’m guessing the answer for most of you, is probably yes! Life is a battle, and the Lord is constantly teaching us through the trials of life,

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Janet 13th March 202313th March 2023 Creative writing tips, Encouragement for Christians who write fiction for children and teens, Free Writing Tips for Christians Who Write for Children and Young Adults Read more

Who are you writing for?

Who are you writing your book for? If you’re not 100% sure who your target readers are (age, gender, nationality, reading ability etc), I have an online Zoom training for you at the end of the month, that will help

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Janet 13th February 202313th February 2023 Creative writing tips Read more

A Quick Way to Add Atmosphere to Your Story

Good morning my writer friends, I’m writing to you today from a snowy London! The snow reminded me of something that will definitely help your novel with atmosphere – make sure you talk about the weather! You don’t have to

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Janet 12th December 2022 Creative writing tips, Encouragement for Christians who write fiction for children and teens Read more

Secrets!

Secrets!

Good morning my writer friends! I don’t know what it is about the dark evenings and long nights that makes me think of secrets… I’ve taken this week’s writing tip from our November Writing Challenge. (If you want to do

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Janet 14th November 202214th November 2022 Creative writing tips Read more

A Fun Writing Exercise For You!

Writing Challenge

Today, instead of a writing tip, I have a ten-minute writing exercise for you. 🙂 The idea is to describe what your protagonist is wearing at the beginning of your story. (Or if you haven’t got a story right now,

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Janet 28th October 202228th October 2022 Christian writing course, Creative writing tips, Writing Christian fiction for kids Read more

Using All the Senses

Beach

A quick creative writing tip on using all the senses in your story. I know you know this, but the exercise will cement in your mind some great ways to do this. :-). If you find it helpful, please pass

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7 Common Problems Writers Face When Writing Their First Novel (and what to do about it)

writers for a reason unite

Well, that’s not a pretty face, is it? Still, all in a good cause! Hope you find the video helpful. 🙂 If you’d like more information about the Writers for a Reason Unite group, click here.

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Janet 10th May 202210th May 2022 Creative writing tips Read more

Secondary Characters – Have You Got Them Covered?

Secondary Characters – Have You Got Them Covered?

Here’s a writing tip that came up a couple of weeks ago when I was running a writing workshop in Hungary, with an international group of writers. (It was such fun!). Somebody asked, how many secondary characters should we have

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Janet 9th May 20229th May 2022 Creative writing tips Read more

Colour!

Colour!

A quick thought on the use of colour you might find useful…

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Don’t Give Up

Don’t Give Up

As we go further into advent, there is still so much uncertainty, worldwide, about covid and its spread. I just wanted to send you a short message of encouragement today, that no matter what happens, the Lord is with us.

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Janet 14th December 202115th December 2021 Encouragement for Christians who write fiction for children and teens Read more
  • « Previous

Recent Writing Tips

  • Redeeming the Tough Times
  • International Women’s Day
  • Advice When Sending Unsolicited Manuscripts
  • Who are you writing for?
  • How to Thrill Your Readers with Your Ending
  • Closing Story Arcs
  • Positive Affirmation is Not Just for Dogs?
  • Are your writing goals big enough, or small enough?
  • A Quick Way to Add Atmosphere to Your Story
  • Secrets!
  • A Fun Writing Exercise For You!
  • Why Choose the First Person Narrative Voice?
  • Using All the Senses
  • 7 Common Problems Writers Face When Writing Their First Novel (and what to do about it)
  • Secondary Characters – Have You Got Them Covered?
  • What is your protagonist wearing?
  • Colour!
  • Don’t Give Up
  • Writing Stories for Our Time
  • Creating Engaging Characters (Video Training)
  • October Challenge
  • Writer’s Block
  • What Can You Learn from People Watching?
  • Does Every Chapter Need to Finish on a Cliffhanger?
  • Endless Distractions
  • Are You Juggling Too Many Balls?
  • The Spoken Word
  • You’ve Got to Have a Problem
  • One Way to Quickly Add Atmosphere and Emotion to Your Story
  • Kill Your Darlings
  • Choosing Names for Your Characters
  • Essential Stuff!
  • The Best Music for Writing
  • Bringing Hope
  • Good News to Share!
  • Should You Start Your Story with Problems? (Video)
  • The Panda Who Eats Shoots and Leaves (Video)
  • More Pace! (Video)
  • Getting Pace Right (Video)
  • Setting Out Your Manuscript
  • Who Are You Writing For?
  • Voices for Your Characters
  • Freewriting
  • Should You Ask Your Family to Look at Your Manuscript?
  • Brilliant Beginnings – An Exercise for You to Do!
  • Theme and Purpose
  • Animals in Stories
  • Do You Need Adults in Your Story? (Video)
  • How Many Characters Should You Have in Your Story? (Video)
  • How To Grab Your Readers’ Attention From the Start (Video)
  • How to You Get Your Message Across? (Video)
  • When Should You Start Posting on Social Media?
  • Creative Writing Fun and Games!
  • How Can We Make Plans?
  • Creating Your Characters
  • Join the Online Writing Course
  • My Writing is Untidy – Does it Matter?
  • Refresh and Renew
  • Getting Dialogue Right
  • Recommended Reading List
  • 30 Fun Creative Writing Prompts
  • Don’t Let Them Stop You
  • Diversity in Children’s Christian Books
  • Having Fun Together
  • Today I Was the Delivery Driver!
  • Have Your Interviewed Your Protagonist?
  • 5 Common Mistakes New Writers Make
  • Is your laziness preventing you from writing? 6 Steps to Defeat this Enemy!
  • Essential Creative Writing Tip for the Start of Your Story
  • Writing Enemies – Distractions and How to Beat Them
  • Defeat Your Enemies: The Self-Doubt Giant
  • Enemies… and How to Defeat Imposter Syndrome
  • Are We Reading You Loud and Clear?
  • Vanishing Perspective
  • What is Success?
  • Will Your Readers See Your Setting?
  • Seven Reasons You Need a Plan
  • Your View of Covid-19
  • How to Get Your Story Written Faster
  • Picture Writing Prompts
  • Christian Content in Novels
  • Descriptions: Taking it All In
  • One Quick Way to Annoy Your Readers
  • How are Your Characters Feeling?
  • Living in Security – Are You?
  • Do You Need to Change Your Plans?
  • Editing Your Manuscript
  • Use Your Fears for Good
  • Pace!
  • Nine Tips for Writing in a Time of Uncertainty
  • 3 Writing Exercises for You
  • Want to Have a Successful Story Plan by Summer? You Can!
  • Bad news…
  • Writing Workshop
  • Ingenuity, Perseverance, Desperation
  • Your Story’s One Main Aim
  • Beating Imposter Syndrome
  • Do You Use a Thesaurus?
  • Basic Story Structure – the Five Steps You Need to Follow
  • How to Make Sure You Achieve Your Writing Goals for 2020
  • Two Fun Christmas Writing Exercises!
  • Put Your Talent to Work in 2020
  • Why are Goals So Important?
  • Christmas Stories
  • Writing Habits of Authors
  • Creative Writing Challenge!
  • Tension – the Ebb and Flow
  • Watch that Spellchecker!
  • Vital Prayer Support
  • How Well Do You Know Your Readers?
  • Children Save the Day!
  • Three Reasons You Might Receive a Rejection Letter from a Publisher
  • Sending Your Book Proposal to a Publishing House
  • Writing to Help
  • ‘Show Don’t Tell’ Practice
  • 3 Reasons You Need Prayer Support
  • Stories are Powerful
  • Three Things You Really Need to Know About Stakes
  • Editing Your First Draft
  • Too Clever?
  • The Best Way to Beat Overwhelm
  • Getting Better
  • Pigs, Wolves, and a Story Worth Telling
  • 3 Reasons to Set Your Novel in a Place You Don’t Know
  • What do cooking smells, fresh flowers in a vase and a polished table have in common?
  • 7 Reasons to Set Your Story in a Place You Know
  • How to Turn Your Holiday into a Story
  • More Creative Writing Fun!
  • Writing for Fun
  • 5 Reasons to Choose Third Person Narrative
  • 5 Reasons to Choose First Person Narrative
  • 3 ‘P’s in video format!
  • Will You Be Successful?
  • Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail!
  • How to Find Your Writing Voice – 7 Quick Tips
  • Small Beginnings – Everyone Has One!
  • Easter People
  • Dialogue Tags
  • Lovely to Laugh!
  • 7 Gleanings from Reading a Stack of Books
  • 3 More Things to Beware of when Writing Stories for Children
  • 7 Things to Beware of when Writing Stories for Children
  • Jan Godfrey, a Writer for a Reason
  • Writing Prompts IV
  • Writing Prompts III
  • Writing Prompts II
  • Writing Prompts I
  • Getting a Bit Stale?
  • Read
  • Starting from Scratch – Target Readers
  • Happy New Writing Year!
  • Time to Set Your Writing Goals
  • Happy Christmas!
  • Who Holds the Key?
  • The First Paragraph
  • Two words or one: Part II
  • Two words or one?
  • How could you write 500 words a day?
  • Keeping Going Despite the Distractions
  • Is My Story Good Enough?
  • Metaphors and Similes
  • Creative Writing Tip – Personification
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Rambling
  • We All Need A Hero
  • Terrible Baddies!
  • Flawed Goodies?
  • Important V Urgent
  • Write it or Lose it?
  • Fiction is Fiction
  • Understanding
  • Panning for Gold
  • Is My Story Good Enough? 4 Solid Pieces of Advice
  • All Tied Up
  • Being Mean II – The Reason
  • Time to Be Mean
  • Take Note
  • Naming Characters Part II
  • What’s in a Name?
  • Sudden Surprises
  • What Do You Think of Glossaries?
  • Are They Like You?
  • Purpose and Passion
  • How Do You Just Do It?
  • Expressing Thanks
  • Varying the Length
  • Character is King
  • Is Your Protagonist Motivated?
  • Talent or Skill? Skill and Talent?
  • Creating a Scene – Three Essentials
  • Read Anything Good Recently?
  • Write Something Dull
  • Lego Cathedral
  • Ten Writing Prompts to Help You Get Going
  • How to Be an Overcomer
  • Listening In
  • Your Alter Ego?
  • Light in the Darkness
  • Happy Christmas!
  • Does That Need Updating?
  • A Different Kind of Practice
  • Keeping the Balance
  • Essential Information on Copyright
  • Is that Usual? Does it Matter?
  • Have You Checked That?
  • Four Best Editing Tips
  • Make Yourself A Playlist
  • Uncertainty v Clarity
  • What Is Your Protagonist’s Greatest Need?
  • Out with the Bland!
  • Do You Have Goals?
  • Strong Words
  • Stepping Stones
  • Save It For Another Day!
  • What One Thing Does Your Protagonist Need?
  • Obstacles
  • What Will You Do with Your Story?
  • Voices
  • Are You Going To Tell?
  • Mountains and Valleys
  • Twists and Surprises
  • Do You Really Need All That?
  • Cut It Up!
  • Bringing Hope
  • The End of All Things (Part 2)
  • The End of All Things, or the Beginning?
  • English Literature
  • How Long Will It Take?
  • The Writing Habit
  • Creating a Fictional World
  • Three Ways to Improve Your Novel Instantly
  • Time To Get Some Exercise?
  • Why Is She Rude?
  • Suppose You Only Had Six Months?
  • Four Essentials
  • Creative Writing Exercise
  • 7 Reasons to Add Humour to Your Novel
  • Your Dream World
  • How Hostile Is Your Antagonist?
  • Unpacking Emotions
  • 3 Helpful Tips on Writing Dialogue
  • Bringing Your Characters To Life
  • Start with your Protagonist
  • Three Quotes to Help You with Your Writing
  • 2017: 3 Essential Questions All Christian Writers Should Ask Themselves
  • Christmas . . . Whose Birthday Is It?
  • Keep It Simple
  • 4 Ways to Keep Your Language Contemporary
  • Chapter Breaks – How Do You Break Yours?
  • Save It!
  • Avoid Celebrities
  • Finding the Lost
  • Whether the Weather . . .
  • Shock Your Readers
  • Surprise!
  • Quick Creative Writing Tip
  • Novel in a Month?
  • Descriptions: the Balancing Act
  • Your Story Does Not Need To Be Published
  • Stalk, Sidle, Slither, Stomp, Dash
  • You Know This, But . . .
  • Secrets
  • Getting Emotional
  • Freewriting
  • Passive v Active Voice
  • Inspirational Quotes
  • Metaphors and Similes . . . What’s the Difference?
  • Should Adults Help?
  • Don’t Let The Distractions Distract You
  • 3 Writing Tips From New Christian Author
  • 3 Things To Look Out For On Holiday
  • The Importance of Being More Than Earnest
  • Balance Your Goodies And Baddies
  • Facing An Issue
  • Writing Daily – A Realistic Goal?
  • Personification
  • Is It All Foreign to You?
  • Being Accountable
  • Tips From A Winner!
  • Don’t Miss Christmas!
  • Is It Time To Get Out?
  • How Do They Do Theirs?
  • Mystery, Adventure and Treasure
  • Time For A Boot Fair?
  • Getting Straight To The Point
  • Plan To Save Time
  • Did You Complete The Challenge?
  • Two Lessons From A Visit To The Circus
  • 3 More Common Mistakes with Dialogue
  • How is Writing Fiction Like Making Curtains?
  • 3 Common Mistakes with Dialogue
  • Pin Up a Photo
  • One Thing Publishers Really Want
  • Do You Root For The Underdog?
  • How Much Time Do You Have?
  • Ready For a Writing Challenge?
  • Writing To Say Thank You
  • Have You Seen The Fugitive?
  • 3 Simple Tips from Author Eleanor Watkins
  • Don’t Waste Your Time In The Queue

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