I was inspired to rack up this list of 21 creative writing exercises because I had a change of perspective towards writing exercises lately. Prior to taking my current writing class, I prioritized creating complete stories versus attempting creative writing exercises because I valued the finished product more than I valued the writing process (which …
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Title: Second-Mile People Author: Isobel Kuhn, Christian missionary Genre: Christian Nonfiction Pages: 154 I was introduced to Second-Mile People through a sermon almost three years back. I can’t remember much of what exactly the pastor said that made me remember it all this time, but I do recall his explanation for its title. “Second-Mile People” refers to Matthew …
It was the summer before I headed off for my first year at college. On the surface, everything looked fine, like a placid sea. I was a soon-to-be college freshman at UC Davis. My days of sleep deprivation and mental breakdowns over college applications and AP classes were officially over. Seeing as how I didn’t need to fulfill a checklist of summer homework as in years past, there would be no surge of guilt from lazing around.
Beneath those calm, lulling waves of summer bliss was a deep undercurrent of spiritual turmoil. Something occurred in April of that year that left me in a massive heap of confusion…
Title: A Voice in the Wind Author: Francine Rivers Genre: Christian Ficiton Pages: 496 Intro and Characters in A Voice in the Wind The book opens with the ruthless destruction of Jerusalem from the perspective of a young Christian Jewess, Hadassah, decades after Christ walked the earth. Through the introduction of the its central characters, it slowly winds …
Character arcs. Every writer bite their nails over these. Readers too, though for you guys, you probably don’t bite your nails, pull on your hair, and pace your rooms for nearly as many hours as writers do over character arcs.
Before we dive into why character arcs are important, we need to answer what exactly is a character arc? Most people understand it to be an internal change a character undergoes: the farm boy turned hero, the pauper turned princess, the arrogant king humbled. I’d argue that, that’s a much too simplified…