• Compassion in Action: Interview with Xulon Author Jacki Dirksmeyer

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    Editor Krystina Murray interviews Xulon author Jacki Dirksmeyer on her faith and the practice of “breaking bread” are impacting her local community. Feed My Peeps is an organization in St. Louis, Missouri geared toward delivering food from local restaurants, caterers, farmer’s markets, and schools. Founded by Jacki Dirksmeyer in 2012, Feed My Peeps keeps many homeless families and those with limited resources nourished with love and good food. It all started with Dirksmeyer’s trip to Kenya and meeting a cancer-stricken young man, after which she became part of the mission team “Get the Word Out”, where she began feeding people from…

  • Passive Voice: It’s So Passé

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      Passive voice has a time and place in writing, as it serves to be a stylistic additive in many books and papers. In some cases, people prefer passive voice in creative pieces, such as poetry and prose; however, writing in passive voice too often in your fiction and non-fiction pieces can cloud your writing. The “passive voice” can best be described as writing that quietly emphasizes the subject in the sentence, rather than the verb. It also indirectly guides the reader to a course of action or situation without a direct voice, which can leave readers scratching their heads. It…

  • inspiration for writing a book

    Goal Management: Patience + Persistence = Progress

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    Taking control of your writing dream means actively making your routine and writing goals a priority in your life. Some say writing is about inspiration, but it’s more practical than that. It’s about actively seeking inspiration while following through with an idea, and manifesting your thoughts into words. This can be achieved with action and persistence. The mindset you subconsciously (or consciously) have before writing is paramount in your level of enthusiasm. In other words, be confident and focus on your immediate goals, rather than the end result. Writing from a place of doubt, anxiety, or pressure seldom creates a positive result. If…

  • 4 tips for writing children's books on difficult subjects from Xulon Press, the largest Christian self-publisher.

    4 Tips for Writing Children’s Books on Grown-Up Topics

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    When many think of writing children’s books, images of talking animals communicating with awe-struck children come to mind. Many of these children’s stories aptly summarize the youthful whimsy of naivety, as the young protagonists are captivated by every angle of his or her growing experience. Some may even feel the role of children’s books would be to focus on the positive aspects of life, downplaying the harsh realities of daily unpleasantness. This is just one option and perspective of children’s literature. In editing and examining the assortment of children’s stories we come across, the need for children to be exposed to reality—the…