Novella Workshop: Short or Long Fiction?

I write both nonfiction and fiction, and coach writers in both genres, too. I’ve often told non-fiction writers who want to be published to start by crafting articles. That way they can build up both credibility and credits. Then, when they’ve gained an audience and...

Novella Workshop: Repetition as a Stylistic Technique in a Novella 

One of the most acclaimed novellas of all time is one many people have never heard of.  Black Water, by Joyce Carol Oates, was published in 1992 and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, but it is relatively unknown.   It’s loosely based on the incident in which...

Novella Workshop: Can You Identify The Author?

Some of the most famous works of fiction ever written are novellas. And, some not-so-famous works of fiction are novellas, too 🙂 –including those written by authors from Cruciform Press.   Since a novella has limited words to set a scene and establish...

What are the “Rights” of a Historical Fiction Author?

Occasionally people ask me writing-related questions. Here’s a recent Q&A exchange between me and author Susan Gregory. Do you have an opinion you’d like to share on this?   Susan: Latayne, I need your help…   My WIP, The Virgin’s Midwife,...

Novella Workshop: What’s a Novella?

I think a lot of people understand that a novella isn’t a novel, but they’re not sure if it has to do with subject matter: is a novella a “light” version of a more-serious topic? Is it a romance?), for instance. Some have only seen novellas in collection, and...

The Seventeen Steps to Getting a Christian Book Published

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash I don't do much author mentoring, because I have learned a painful truth: The vast majority of people who say they want to write a book for publication are not willing to submit to 1) the discipline of learning to write...