The following post is from M Liz Boyle’s website. Enjoy reading about the benefits of fiction by Shalynn Mellerup, and be sure to check out her picture books.
With all the worthwhile non-fiction available, do we really need fiction stories? Today we’re welcoming my friend Shalynn Mellerup to the blog! Read on to see her thoughts on the importance of fiction. I’ve always considered myself to be an optimistic person. I want to be the kind of person who smiles in the rain […]
Are you looking for a middle grade novel or series that features kids facing spiritual warfare head-on? Allen Brokken’s books Light of Mine and Still Small Voice are out on Amazon’s Audible Audiobook. They’re books one and two of Brokken’s Towers of Light middle grade series, and books three and four are available in Kindle and paperback form.
Looking for more middle grade books? Coming May 26 on Facebook, Brokken will host the Still Small Voice Audiobook and Unit Study Launch Party. It’s open to both Facebook and non-Facebook users, and it includes a giveaway of the following prizes:
Christian Middle Grade Author Summer Reading Bundle: * Melanie on the Move by J.D. Rempel * The Snow Globe Travelers: Samuel’s Legacy by K.A. Cummins * An Echo of the Fae by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt – Author * Light of Mine by Allen Brokken – Author * Vincent in Wonderland by CE White Books * Diana Alderoot and the Gilded Mage by Trista Shaye * Wolf Soldier by James Hannibal * Iggy and Oz and the Plastic Dinos of Doom by JJ Johnson * An Unexpected Adventure: Myth Coast Adventures, Book 1 by Kandi J Wyatt
3 – Light of Mine Audio Book Codes for Audible.com
Towers of Light Series Boxed Set * Light of Mine – Do Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan have the faith to take up the armor of God and protect the Tower of Light from the forces of the Dark One? * Still Small Voice – As defenders of the light, Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan embark on a journey to stop the dark forces invading their land. * Fear No Evil – Will the darkness overtake Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan? Or will they prove their faith is stronger and that they fear no evil? * Armor of God – Their Father has become the Dark One’s Champion. Can Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan retrieve the Lost Armor of God to stand against him? * Access to download the Light of Mine digital 4-week Unit Study
10 – Armor of God Posters
To learn more about this giveaway, go to the following link:
Did you know that reading good, God-glorifying fiction can allow spiritual truths to resonate clearly, or even point out the seriousness of sin in our lives? Kelly Keller shows how that can be in her article, “On Christians Reading Fiction: Stealing Past Watchful Dragons.”
Check out M Liz Boyle and JPC Allen’s discussion on the value of fiction.
Today I’m excited to have my author friend JPC Allen on the blog discussing fiction. Let’s get to it 🙂 Sometimes, when you are too close to a subject, it’s hard to describe or appreciate it. When Liz asked me to write a guest post about the importance of fiction, the request stopped me cold. […]
You’ve probably heard of a haiku, but have you heard of a style of poetry called the tanka? The following is an introduction to haikus and tankas by Joseph Ficor.
Japanese poetry is very unique. It does not depend on rhyming as much as Western poetry forms. I enjoy this because I am not very good at rhyming to begin with.
The two styles that I like experimenting with are the haiku and the tanka. The haiku is composed of three lines with a syllable count of 5-7-5 for a total of 17 syllables. It must contain a seasonal word. Otherwise, it is called a senryu. I have used it as a tool to write science fiction haiku, aka scifaiku.
Here is an example of one that I wrote several years ago:
Black haired girls Riding on red black hoverbikes Travel New Tokaido
Tanka is similar except that it has a longer syllable count: 5-7-5-7-7.
Here is an example that I composed just for this blog (don’t you just feel so special inside?):
I want to wish you all a happy Resurrection Day! To honor the day that Christ defeated the grave, why not listen to Keith and Kristyn Getty’s “Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed?” To that truth, I say “Amen.”
Are you hoping to write your own middle grade novel but don’t want to create bland scenes? These tips by Kevin Lovegreen will give you the basics on how to create vivid descriptions of your characters’ world.
If you are (or know) a reader of middle-grade adventure stories, you’re probably familiar with award winning author Kevin Lovegreen. His series, Lucky Luke’s Hunting Adventures, is a big hit among the families in our neighborhood.
Lovegreen gives presentations to promote the love of reading, writing, and the outdoors. I’m so happy that he agreed to contribute a blog post with some pointers for youth who dream of becoming an author (or simply passing Language Arts).
Take it away, Kevin!
“think about painting pictures with your words”
Do you want to become a better writer?
If you’re looking for some advice on becoming a better writer, think like a painter. What!? Yep, think about painting pictures with your words. As you are writing, and more importantly, when you go back and edit your writing, try to be as descriptive as possible. Remember, you are always writing to two…
It’s good to be realistic about how corrupt our world is. But how realistic is too realistic, particularly when it comes to writing stories? Should we be as gritty as today’s news and reveal all the world’s evils? Or be the opposite extreme, too optimistic?
My book review on Laika: Astronaut Dog shows a book giving a tragic historical story a happy ending, even though that ending never happened. I do address the problem of cleaning up history for the sake of avoiding its upsetting elements.
Hannah Mae discusses the dilemma of being too gritty or too upbeat on her FlyingFaith Talks! She shows how the Bible and being ministry-minded guide us on finding that balance.
I wrote another book review for Jennifer Hallmark’s blog! This time, it’s about a fox with a big problem but helps someone else in the midst of it. What is this fox’s problem? Hint: it has to do with her tail.
K.A. Ramstad 