June 22, 2016
A couple of months ago, I began the new and exciting adventure of becoming a literary agent with Hartline Literary Agency. The last few months have brought a whirlwind of information, learning, emails, reading manuscript submissions, and signing clients. In just a matter of days, my inbox became flooded with submissions from authors seeking representation, and as I reviewed manuscript after manuscript and proposal after […]
June 16, 2016
I will never forget my childhood friend named DeDe. She was smart and had a great sense of humor. But that is not the main reason I remember DeDe. She is the one friend in elementary school who taught me about being a friend to the friendless. There was a girl in our class—I’ll call her Jennifer—who was afflicted with a congenital problem that […]
June 15, 2016
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has made a staggering sum of money since opening 6 months ago. It has been a boon to the movie industry, but it should also serve as an encouragement to writers everywhere. I’ve compiled a list of how The Force Awakens should encourage writers everywhere. Science fiction is as strong as ever. A well written story can exist in any setting, and […]
June 8, 2016
Do you wish you could beat writing deadlines, the smart way, by using your brain? Well, now you can! If you have ever struggled to beat deadlines, or struggled to hold yourself accountable to deadlines that you set yourself, be relieved. Modern research has provided some powerful insight to human psyche. M.I.T. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently completed a study. In the study they […]
June 5, 2016
Christian fiction authors have to ponder what place they can hold in an ever-diminishing christian fiction market. The news is disheartening news for fiction authors in the CBA, but there’s a small light at the end of the tunnel. Publishers are still publishing Christian fiction—this isn’t the apocalypse. If you are a Christian fiction writer, here are 5 ways you can “roll with the punches”, and adjust […]
March 13, 2016
What part of the chocolate Easter bunny do you eat first? The National Confectioner’s Association reports that 76% of people eat the ears first. I tested my family—we are 100% “ear first” eaters. Easter is full of fun traditions such as chocolate Easter bunnies, egg hunts, and pastel colors. But for Christians, Easter should also be an important time of passing down the legacy of […]
January 13, 2016
Six degrees isn’t too cold to go tubing. People always talk about summer as the most opportune time for spending time together outside with your children. While I don’t disagree, let’s not forget about winter, especially those of us who live north of the Mason-Dixon. Winter weather provides it own unique blend of family adventure opportunities, and nothing bonds a family better than freezing your […]
December 22, 2015
Would you like to enjoy celebrating New Year’s Eve without the late night and cranky children? Well you can, especially if you have young children. A couple of years ago my wife and I decided to embrace YouTube to create a unique New Year’s Eve tradition. We streamed videos of New Year’s Eve celebrations from all over the world with our children. We did this […]
December 2, 2015
November 25, 2015
Concept art for Fenrick the First, main character in my short story, Unwanted Father, and main character in The Gobbin King. What do you think?
October 10, 2018
Note: Hope’s Hacks will be taking a brief hiatus. The column will come in a monthly form starting in November. However, if you are every struggling with writer’s block, don’t hesitate to reach out to Hope. She can be reached here. This month’s cure: Trick or Tweet What the cure is: Participating in Twitter Pitch parties to jumpstart the process of finishing that edit or last chapter. […]
October 3, 2018
About the column: A handful of agents and interns who work with Cyle have learned the latest and (sometimes so, sometimes not so) greatest trends in publishing right now. Tune in each week to find out what’s trending, ranging from ABA to CBA, children’s to adult. The authors of these columns have included social media tags at the end to keep up with trends they […]
September 26, 2018
About the column: A handful of agents and interns who work with Cyle have learned the latest and (sometimes so, sometimes not so) greatest trends in publishing right now. Tune in each week to find out what’s trending, ranging from ABA to CBA, children’s to adult. The authors of these columns have included social media tags at the end to keep up with trends they […]
September 19, 2018
Hope’s Hacks (some ways to break up that writer’s block) *About the column: Hope Bolinger provides biweekly tips to help you through that writer’s block slump. As a person who has suffered from severe depression and anxiety for eight years, she knows first-hand what it’s like to not want to roll out of bed and face a blank screen and blinking cursor. Here are some […]