• True Life: Finding Creative Purpose from Life’s Struggles

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    Xulon Press employee Elizabeth Marrero talks about how God used her biggest struggle to give birth to her creative purpose — and the book she’s publishing because of it. When we moved back to the United States from Puerto Rico, I struggled with English. It was all Chinese to me (though it was English… ::kick drum, snare, high hat::). My 1st grade teacher sent a letter home one day with me – that I couldn’t read – and that night, my mom and brother sat down with me and a book. My brother pointed at one word. “Esto dice Marty.” He pointed…

  • 5 Ways to Paint Autumn into Your Writing

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    How to Write About Fall There’s a reason one of the first pieces of advice any professional offers to a new writer forging ahead on the publishing journey is, “Show, don’t tell.” Readers don’t want to be told, they want to be shown. So, how does one show information? If we use seasons or weather as an example, which can be used for metaphorical purposes within the telling of a story, we can begin to crack the code on showing, and not telling, information to the reader. Since most of The States are experiencing autumn right now, it’s a great example…

  • Hello, My Name Is: How a Great Intro Will Chart Your Book’s Path.

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      Why Writing an Introduction Helps Chart Your Book’s Path. Imagine you have a map in front of you, but for some reason there is no starting point to lead your journey in the right direction. The same sentiment can be felt when you read a manuscript that doesn’t have a Preface/Introduction/Prologue section to briefly explain to readers the purpose of the book; it gives a fifty-fifty shot to readers of whether they will understand the book’s purpose within the first few pages or not at all. So, what better way to begin your book “on the right foot” than by creating an engaging…