Four cups of coffee, two cans of Diet Coke with Lime and, oh my goodness, even a can of Mountain Dew…

But the real rush I’m feeling, I’m certain, is the joy of storycrafting. I’m at a storycrafting retreat, see. In lovely, autumn-encased Minnesota. And I’m loving it. Every moment. And when this weekend ends, a weeklong writing escape begins. During which I will undoubtedly consume even greater levels of caffeine…and hopefully complete draft one of book two. Yeah. Life is …

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    The thing about goals…

    …is that once you tell someone about them, you’re sort of bound to reach them. ‘Least, that’s how I feel. Which is why: a) I don’t always tell people about my goals. I’ve got this thing about hemming myself in! but also, b) I’m about to share a goal of mine for the next few weeks. See, just knowing myself, …

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      And who shall they be?

      Case Matthews needs parents. So I’m going to give him some. Case, I should point out, is one of two POV characters in the book I’m working on right now. And I’ll tell you straight-up, he’s a good guy. A swell guy. A few communication issues and maybe a little bit too “I must save the world,” but all in …

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        Q&A with Jolene Philo, author of "A Different Dream for My Child"

        As noted last week, we have a special guest for today’s blog! Thanks so much to Jolene Philo, author of A Different Dream for My Child, for answering questions about her book (released earlier this month) and on writing! Enjoy the Q&A below…but first, check out the video trailer for Jolene’s book: On Different Dream…1. What initially prompted you to …

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          Introducing Jolene Philo!

          This evening I’m excited to introduce Jolene Philo, writer, speaker…and fellow Iowa native. Jolene’s book A Different Dream for My Child was released just this month from Discovery House. Jolene will be joining Tag(g)lines next week for a Q&A session in which she’ll tell us about her book and also give a bit of a sneak peek into her life …

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            Ideas, balloons, elation, inflation…and I should stop talking!

                I plotted out a whole new book this weekend! And I’m excited. So, so excited!   And I could talk, oh I could talk…talk your ears off about these wonderful, lovable characters who’ve worked their way into existence. About a plot I’m convinced will keep a reader turning the page. About a climax that – I’m not exaggerating …

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              I plotted out a whole new book this weekend! And I’m excited. So, so excited! And I could talk, oh I could talk…talk your ears off about these wonderful, lovable characters who’ve worked their way into existence. About a plot I’m convinced will keep a reader turning the page. About a climax that – I’m not exaggerating – had me …

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                And the fact of the matter is…

                I had no idea. It’s a phrase we’re constantly hearing where I work – Hope Ministries, a Christ-centered organization providing programs and services for the homeless, hungry and hurting. We hear it from donors, volunteers, those who take tours of our facilities…the scope of Hope Ministries’ outreach in central Iowa really is surprising to many. But this past Saturday, I …

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                  How much is too much?

                  It’s a question that could apply to a lot of things, yeah? But it’s the question I’ve been asking myself in the past couple days as I’ve tried to fit in some good chunks of writing time. In particular, I’ve been working on my main character. Name’s Hailey and she’s a small-town reporter. Understandable, since I began working on her …

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                    Normalcy in retreat. Or, when life happens, writing doesn’t.

                    Real life has definitely been getting in the way of my writing life lately. Big time. There’s just stuff happening…like crazy. And because I think it’s pretty important to put real people before fictitious people, the novel and I have not spent so much time in each other’s company lately.  Has absence made my heart grow fonder, you ask?  I’m …

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