by Josiah DeGraaf | Apr 29, 2017 | Articles, Theme
Few flaws can kill a story’s theme and message as much as blatancy. We’ve all read books that constantly hit us over the head with the author’s beliefs. Afterwards we resolve never to do this as authors. But then we sit down to write and realize how easy it is to make...by kingdompen | Mar 31, 2017 | Articles, Plot, Theme
I have a love-hate relationship with Christian fiction. On the one hand, the genre has immense potential, because it transcends what it means to live as a human being to explore what it means to live as a Christian. When these stories are done well, like Dave...by Josiah DeGraaf | Feb 27, 2017 | Articles, Characters, Theme
A character arc is the process by which your protagonist grows and changes over the course of a novel, and thus it is the foundation for building your novel’s theme. Many writers have already expounded on how you should weave a character arc throughout a novel. But...by Josiah DeGraaf | Feb 17, 2017 | Articles, Plot
One of my favorite classes that I took at a homeschool co-op during high school was a chess class taught by a local grandmaster. I learned many different chess openings, position tactics, and endgame tactics, all of which improved my chess strategy. One day the...by Josiah DeGraaf | Feb 3, 2017 | Book Recommendations, Writing
Sometimes you read a book about writing and enjoy it, but you never think about it after you put it back on the shelf. Other times a book immediately earns a spot in your section of writing resources that you reference regularly. This book is definitely one of the...