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Writing for Story by Jon Franklin (book review)

August 22, 2023 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

The new “nonfiction”—the adaptation of storytelling techniques to journalistic articles in the manner of Truman Capote, Tom Wolfe, and John McPhee—is an innovative genre that has been awarded virtually every Pulitzer Prize for literary journalism since 1979. And now Jon Franklin, himself a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and undisputed master of the great American nonfiction short story, shares the secrets of his success. Franklin shows how to make factual pieces come alive by applying the literary techniques of complication/resolution, flashback, foreshadowing, and pace. He illustrates his points with a close analysis and annotation of two of his most acclaimed stories, so that the reader can see, step-by-step, just how they were created.

This lively, easy-to-follow guide combines readability and excitement with the best of expository prose and illuminates the techniques that beginning journalists—and more experienced ones, too—will find immensely helpful:

— Stalking the true short story
— Drafting an effective outline
— Structuring the rough copy
— Polishing like a pro
— And the tips, tools, and techniques that will put your stories on the cutting edge


With many years of fiction-writing experience behind me, I’ve been wanting to strengthen my nonfiction-writing skills. Someone recommended this book.

It’s a fascinating read full of amazing information. It’s also quite dated, as it was written in 1986. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it, though. Just remember a few things as you read through it:

  • The universal truths Franklin discusses (the importance of structure, active writing, character developments, etc.) are universal–they still apply today. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing.
  • His process (note cards) can still work, but he wrote before computers existed. Use his information and apply it to your modern technique. (The same is true for the submission process.)
  • Read the last chapter. Realize the truth in it–Franklin and his successful contemporaries spent YEARS learning and practicing. Think about that.

I’m glad I read this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone wanting to learn how to write feature stories or short nonfiction pieces.

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3QROGqK

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: book reviews Tagged With: book review, how to write, nonfiction writing, writing nonfiction, writing tips

Writing Successful Self-Help & How-To Books by Jean Marie Stine (book review)

April 1, 2023 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Mastering the craft and understanding the mechanics of writing self-help and how-to books is the key to getting publishers to take notice of your work. Now, in the first guide to writing self-help and how-to books, Jean Stine offers an insider’s view of this growing genre. Her easy-to-follow program takes you step-by-step through the complete writing process. You’ll learn the importance of:


* Structure and Style
* Clear, easy-to-understand exercises
* Creating catchy and compelling titles, subtitles, and chapter headings
* Using lists, charts, and graphs to maximum effect
* Checklists and other interactive elements
* Writing a proposal that sells
* Negotiating permissions for quotations, photos, and illustrations
* Preparing your manuscript for presentation to a publisher


This is an interesting book. While it’s full of some good information, there are two things that stand in the way of it being a great book.

First, the title is misleading. This isn’t a book on writing a self-help/how-to book; it’s a book on selling a self-help/how-to manuscript to a publisher. There is a little bit of information on writing, but the majority of the book is about writing a successful book proposal and formatting your manuscript properly. While it was interesting (and somewhat helpful) information, it wasn’t what I was expecting from the book title.

The next big issue with the book is its age–written in 1997, it hasn’t been updated, but the publishing industry has changed. Authors no longer type out manuscripts and mail them. Agents aren’t an option when it comes to large publishers. And with the popularity and availability of self-publishing, authors now need platforms before they contact publishers. All of that information is either missing from this book or outdated. I’d love to see a second edition of this book to update; without an update, much of the information is worthless.

Overall, not exactly what I was expecting. There was some helpful material, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending this to a new author because they wouldn’t know which information was good and which information was outdated.

You can pick up a copy here.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Filed Under: book reviews Tagged With: book review, books on writing, how-to books, self-help books, writing a book, writing nonfiction, writing tips, writing tools

Writing Tips from Lauren Crews

February 27, 2023 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

What’s your favorite craft book?

Currently, The Art of The Tale by Steven James and Tom Morrisey. Although the book is directed more towards speakers, I am finding value. I am a nonfiction writer, and a teacher by profession, so everything I do leans toward the academic. I need help to be a good storyteller, but I recognize how valuable it is in writing and speaking. The book helped me find how to connect with my audience through a story.

Which do you think is the most underrated craft book? Why?

7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs by Debra Butterfield It is underrated because it is a small, thin, self-published book packed with a wealth of beneficial information. Debra is an acquisition editor for CrossRiver Media, and her book is like having an opportunity to sit with an editor one-on-one.

What is your favorite (or most anticipated) writers’ conference?

Florida Christian Writers’ Conference. It was the first conference I attended and where I got my start in writing. They offer a good variety of appointments with agents and publishers. I’ve also used their writing contests to test my work. If I place, that is a piece I keep working on towards publishing. If I don’t place, I know it needs much more work before I should consider publishing.

What’s your favorite other source (YouTube, podcast, etc.) for writing tips/info?

For both writing tips but also for the business of writing, I like the following podcasts:

The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe

The Christian Woman’s Business Podcast with Esther Littlefield

Your Best Writing Life with Linda Goldfarb

Take The Stage with Mary Snyder

Who is your writing mentor/inspiration? Why?

I don’t really have one. I never thought I’d be a writer. I have always dreamed of being a lawyer. I’d love to have a mentor.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received? Why was it bad?

I haven’t really received lousy writing advice. I guess I’ve been fortunate.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

To really pray about how God wanted my message released. Did it need to be validated through traditional publishing, or are my ministry and reputation strong enough to validate it through self-publishing? Another good piece of writing advice as a non-fiction writer was to pause after a point and insert a question. It slows my reader down, and they have to think about my topic and apply the information I’m offering. I’ve tried to use that in everything I write.

What would you say is the best writing tip for new authors?

Find a critique group. Your goal is to become a better writer, and unless you hear honest feedback on your work, you won’t know what improvements to make. I would recommend Word Weavers over your friends or family.  

What is your best self-editing tip or advice?

They always say to write tight, and the best way I have figured out how to do this is to give myself a word limit, say four hundred words. I focus on strong verbs and good imagery words. If I can write something within that limit, it still sounds good, and it meets the limit, then it’s tight. It is a hard task to master, but giving yourself a word limit is good practice.

Another tip is that if you publish traditionally, you will have an editor, but you should still do some editing. I always pay to have my book partially edited, even before I turn it in. If I can’t afford to edit the entire book, I will have them do every other chapter. I pay close attention to what they find and look for it in the other chapters.

Please share your most encouraging tip for frustrated/discouraged writers.

If this is God’s book for you, it will get published. It may take a while, especially the traditionally published route, but there is much to learn. Take advantage of every opportunity He puts on your path to publishing.

My next book, Word Made Flesh: Echoes of Jesus in the Hebrew Alphabet. It is scheduled to release with End Game Press in the summer of 2024.

Lauren Crews holds an MDiv from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is a multi-award-winning author. Her book Strength of a Woman: Why You Are Proverbs 31 won Christian Market Book of the Year. She is passionate about God’s word and teaching the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Her experience as a women’s ministry leader, speaker, Bible teacher, and public-school teacher equips Lauren to easily share deep truths that will encourage your faith. Lauren completed the AWSA coaching certification and works with new authors desiring to up their social media game. Lauren lives in Florida with her husband and two brown dogs who have their humans well-trained

www.LaurenCrews.com
Facebook: Lauren Crews
Instagram and Twitter: @LaurenCrewsA2Z
Tik Tok: LaurenC.A2Z

Filed Under: writing Tagged With: author interview, editing tips, how to write, podcasts for writers, self-editing, writing nonfiction, writing podcasts, writing tips, writing tools

Writing Tips … Sharon Norris Elliott

January 16, 2023 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Speaker, teacher, and author Sharon Norris Elliott has received some good and bad writing advice throughout her career. She’s sifted through them all to find the gems, and she’s sharing many of them with us today. If you need writing tips, encouragement, or inspiration, you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s welcome Sharon!

What is your favorite writing book?
A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech

Which do you think is the most underrated writing book? Why?
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. If an author doesn’t understand marketing, it doesn’t matter how great the book is because people will never find it in order to read it.

What is your favorite (or most anticipated) writers conference?
No conference has taken the place of the granddaddy of them all, The Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference. I started attending as a hopeful author and ended up serving on the faculty for 20 years. The conference was a family reunion. You attended whether you had a proposal to pitch or not. Now, my favorite conferences are the West Coast Christian Writers’ Conference and the Colorado Christian Writers’ Conference

What’s your favorite other source (YouTube, podcast, etc.) for writing tips/info?
Some webinars from time to time. I listen to workshops taught by other industry professionals that are presented at the online conferences at which I am also a faculty member.

Who is your writing mentor/inspiration? Why?
There were so many: Susan Titus Osborne, Gail Roper, Florence Littauer, Kathy Collard Miller,  Joyce Dinkins, Patricia Raybon, Marlene Bagnull, Linda Evans Shepherd, and others.

Some of these women ran conferences or organizations that I was able to work with, many times in leadership capacities. Others are editors and writers who shared their knowledge and expertise with me. All of them believed in and still believe in me, never letting me forget I had gifts and could use them to glorify God. They all treated me like I was really a part of this industry until I realized that truth about myself.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received? Why was it bad?
Write for the African American community and concentrate on one specific genre. This was bad advice because it tried to put my writing in a small box.

I don’t write “Black” books; I write Christian books. And God has led me to write women’s nonfiction, Bible studies, devotionals, children’s books, parenting books, and teen/YA books. I would be “disobedient to the heavenly vision” if I stuck to just one genre.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Find my voice and communicate by using it.

What would you say is the best writing tip for new authors?
Be teachable and listen to professionals in the industry. Get to know someone in the industry who has your best interest at heart and stick with that person as your mentor.

What is your best self-editing tip or advice?
Read back over everything. There will always be mistakes. Then have someone else—someone impartial and professional—edit your work and consider what that person says about changes that need to be made. Choose carefully the hills you will die on. Everything is not worth a live or die fight.

Please share your most encouraging tip for frustrated/discouraged writers.
Keep at it. The best writers, authors of classics you’ve probably read, were rejected many times before they experienced publishing success. No one is perfect. You will never stop learning.

This is a distance race, not a sprint. Decide that you are in this for the long haul. And whatever you learn, be determined to teach that to someone else. You will never lose by giving back. You get better at what you are able to teach.

Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.
My newest upcoming release is Didn’t See That Coming: When How They’re Living’s Not How You Raised Them. This is my third parenting book and launched from Elk Lake Publishing on January 3! Later this year, my 7-book children’s series will continue with the next two books: Special Church Snack (explaining communion) and Funny Math (explaining the Trinity).

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
The next semester of my AuthorizeMe Academy Masterclass Series begins March 4, 2023. If you’re interested in taking your book from idea to manuscript to masterpiece, and being taught personally by Dr. Sharon, register at www.AuthorizeMe.net.


From obscurity in Compton, CA to preaching from sacred pulpits, to commanding main stages teaching others how to write their books and understand the Bible, Dr. Sharon Norris Elliott encourages us to “Live significantly!” This inspiring message has driven Dr. Sharon to become an award-winning author, editor, agent, engaging speaker, and licensed minister. She is a graduate of Biola University and HSBN International School of Ministry in association with Gateway International Bible Institute, author of 13 books, and a member of several prestigious organizations. Dr. Sharon is also co-director of the WCCW conference and a Christian broadcaster with HSBN.tv. She is founder/CEO of the successful AuthorizeMe® Literary Firm (www.AuthorizeMe.net). Dr. Sharon and her husband James live in Southern California; attend Christ Second Baptist Church of Long Beach; and enjoy traveling to visit their children and grandchildren.

Website: www.LifeThatMatters.net
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SaneWriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AuthorizeMeNow/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sanewriter
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sanewriter
LinkedIn: Dr. Sharon Elliott
HSBN.tv: Search for Sharon Norris Elliott or Life That Matters (the shows)
CWWN.tv: Search for Sharon Norris Elliott or Life That Matters (the shows)

For past author interviews, click here!

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, Christian nonfiction, editing tips, self-editing, Sharon Norris Elliott, writing nonfiction, writing tips, writing tools

How I Write: Julie Zine Coleman

June 6, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Julie Zine Coleman did what most writers dream about — she signed a book contract with a major publishing house for her first book! But she also did something else…she put a lot of time and work into making that manuscript shine!

Today, Julie’s going to share some of her tips and secrets with us. Welcome (and thank you!)

What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I am a Bible teacher, so my goal in my writing is to teach the Bible! For twenty years, I taught in Christian Schools (mostly fifth grade) and my favorite part of the day was teaching God’s Word to my students. I was also given many opportunities to speak for women’s events and retreats and loved doing that with all my heart. One year, I was given a big teaching award and was booked to speak for several area educator events. As I returned to my seat after speaking for one of them, the lady next to me commented, “You should do this for a living.” I told her I would love that, but had no idea how to get started. She told me, “You need to write a book.”

She got me thinking. I went home, opened my file for a recent retreat I had just given, and made each session into a book chapter. That was the beginning. And I’ve never looked back.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

I’ve never been a natural at academics, so the intense research required for a book is always a challenge for me. I had to develop a system of notetaking and footnote recording that would keep me from hours of trying to find a source later in the process. I needed to create outlines to keep me focused and on point. The hardest thing was creating the needed space in my schedule to get a project finished. I’m still learning organizational skills and will probably always be challenged on that part of writing.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

My first manuscript took about six months, not including the chapters already written for my proposal. The next one was a compilation of devotionals from 72 authors, which was a different kind of challenge, which ended up being no easier than writing a book myself! That was done in about seven months. My recent release again took about seven months before I sent the initial manuscript off to Kregel.

My husband is my best editor, and he and I went through the entire manuscript three times, chopping, adding, fixing, etc. There was also a great deal of editing after that initial submission, back and forth to Kregel for a couple of months. I sent in the first draft in September, and we did not have the final draft until March or April of the following year.

However long it takes, editing should be embraced. It makes our work clearer, cleaner, and takes it to a new level of professionalism with each pass. Worth every minute. Many eyes make for the cleanest finished product.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

My most recent release was definitely the hardest. Each chapter was an in-depth teaching on one of the passages traditionally used to limit women. I had to leave any preconceived notions behind and start fresh with every passage. I didn’t want to read into what was actually there in black and white.

What I found was pretty stunning for a girl who wore a head covering to church and kept her mouth shut. So many of those passages have been taken out of context, then grouped together to form a doctrine that none of them were meant to mean to begin with. I struggled to be extremely accurate in my interpretation, because I didn’t want to put words in God’s mouth. I’ve never prayed so hard over a passage as I did with these!

But God was faithful, and I believe what he led me to write on each one. I hope you will feel the same after you read it!

How did you find and pick your agent? What tips do you have for others looking for an agent?

I had a meeting at a writer’s conference with a publisher who expressed an interest in my manuscript. She recommended me to a guy who was just setting up an agency to take on new clients. I emailed him my manuscript, and he wrote back the next day and said he would take me on. He pitched to 12 publishers, and Thomas Nelson made an offer. I was his first sale!

For those out there still hoping for representation, find out who you know that has one. They can write introductions for you. Writer’s conferences are your best shot to meet people face to face to get the best impression of them. And PRAY. God can lead you to just the right person.

What’s surprised you the most about the publishing process?

I was amazed at how long it takes to get a book published. I started pitching in 2004. I had the first hard copy of my book in hand in 2013.

What advice do you have for new authors?

Be patient. Learning to publish is a process. Listen to the feedback that you get, especially the professionals in the industry. Do what they say. They know what they are talking about!

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

Never ever dash something off without 24 hours before sending. Go over it again and again, then wait for a time and go over it again. Get other eyes on what you write. Did they understand it? Could they find the main point? What didn’t they understand? Their input will bring clarity to your work.


Many Christian women are torn between how the church has taught traditional gender roles and the liberty they see secular society afford to women. But what if the church’s conventional teachings on the place of women aren’t really biblical at all?

On Purpose is a serious study on the verses in the Bible that have often been interpreted to define the role of women in the church, at home, and in the workplace. Each chapter focuses on a single passage, considering what it meant to the original recipients, understanding each author’s intent, and applying its true meaning in today’s cultural setting. With each chapter, Julie Coleman thoroughly reveals how the timeless principles in the Bible actually teach freedom for women. In fact, when rightly understood, these verses are a wake-up call that we are handicapping the church’s role on earth by limiting women unnecessarily. Instead, men and women should be working side by side for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

Written without anger or judgment, and with no agenda but to delve deep into the Bible, On Purpose is an enlightening study offering a fresh, scriptural perspective. It’s time to set women free to answer God’s call on their lives–and set the church free to function the way God truly desires.


Julie Coleman dedicates herself to helping others understand and know an unexpected God. After an award-winning teaching career, she left the classroom behind to earn a M.A. in biblical studies from Capital Bible Seminary. She now spends her time writing, blogging, professionally editing, and teaching at New Hope Chapel.

Julie and her husband have four children and six grandchildren and live in Maryland. You can learn more about Julie at www.juliecoleman.org.

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, Bible studies, Christian nonfiction, Christian publishing, editing tips, writing Bible studies, writing nonfiction, writing tips

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ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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