Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Writing a book in less than Three Weeks

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I'm reaching the end of a season of intense writing. It's been so good because 14 months ago, I thought my writing days might be over. Then the floodgates opened and I've written four books under contract in less than a year. It's been intense y'all! It's also been really fun. But it's meant I've had to pull out all of my tricks to make it work. This current book I'm writing will be … [Read more...]

What’s in a Writer’s Bag?

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Hello! I'm Christen Krumm, author of the new Sunrise novel, On the Golden Cliffs. I'm really excited to be here with Inspired by Life and Fiction! While writing On the Golden Cliffs, my family and I lived in both a two-bedroom apartment as well as a 250-foot RV (after we moved out of said apartment due to a pipe bursting and the apartment flooding). Being in small spaces with three kids between … [Read more...]

Spring at Last

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Spring has finally—and abruptly—arrived here in Minnesota. On Friday, there was still snow on my little garden plot of perennials. On Saturday, it had melted enough that I could rake away the remaining leaves from last autumn. Two days later, my crocuses bloomed. Spring drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased; its snows were melted…and a greenness grew over … [Read more...]

When Plans Go Awry

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One nice thing about being a writer is that any time something goes wrong in life, a writer says to herself, "I wonder how I could use this in a book..." Ken and I are still traveling in Texas and New Mexico. We've had a great trip and everything has gone so wonderfully well that we really weren't surprised when Sunday night as we pulled into Pecos, Texas on our way from a visit to Carlsbad … [Read more...]

The Things That Last

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As a Christian novelist, I believe that I need to be steeped in God’s word if I am to have anything of value to offer the readers of my books. My desire for every book I write is that it will (1) entertain the reader while (2) drawing them one step closer to Jesus. “The grass withers, the flower fades,But the word of our God stands forever.”(Isaiah 40:8, NASB95) Since 1997, I have made it a … [Read more...]

A Collection of Historical Tidbits

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Research is a huge part of writing any novel, but it plays an especially key role when it comes to historical fiction. Historical details are the building blocks that shape the story world for readers. They can help shape the plot and give extra dimension to the characters. They bring the setting to life and even offer wow moments when something particularly unique is revealed. My latest … [Read more...]

My First Audiobook Experience

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I know we’ve had several posts lately about audiobooks, but since I am brand new to audiobooks, I’d thought I’d share my experience.  My husband joined the audiobook bandwagon about six months ago—when he started getting a free audiobook a month with a periodical subscription. He decided he likes them so much that he signed up for Audible.  I’ve long been a skeptic as far as … [Read more...]

Two favorite things—books & salads

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Two of my favorite things today...books & salads. First, A fabulous new book on the craft of writing by our own Deb Raney! Writing Cinematically truly is a "workshop-intensive-in-a-book that takes only an hour and a half to read, but will teach you to describe more visually and dynamically, revolutionizing the way you write. The book includes twelve lessons (plus a bonus) with … [Read more...]

Oliver!

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I'll confess--I get most of my news and information from YouTube these days. I also watch things on chickens, strange and mysterious disappearances, and the royal family. I love vids about dogs and especially horses. The other day a video from HOMESTEAD HORSEMANSHIP appeared in my feed. The main guy (would you call him a protagonist?) was going to a horse auction, and I was fascinated, never … [Read more...]

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