Andrea Renee Cox's Blog, page 8

Debunking the Myth of “Write What You Know”

“Write what you know.”

That is basic writing advice that has been passed around ever since I started learning how to put my ideas to paper–and probably LONG before. It’s a maxim that never rang true to me. Now that I’ve had twenty years to think it over, I still believe it’s a myth that needs debunking.

Back in middle and high school, when I was doing research papers for English class, I didn’t write what I knew. I wrote what I learned through research. My research papers ranged from Ma...

Writing Update November 2023

Write In Faith Camp is nearly finished for this session. Overall, it’s been quite successful for me.

A pair of the projects I chose for the month moved forward, and two new ideas sparked into works-in-progress for me. That is a hazard of being a writer. Usually, the more creative work I do, the more story ideas filter through my brain. I typically jot them down and then get back to work on my current projects, but sometimes, like this month, they ignite so strongly that they beg to be play...

Five Things I’m Thankful For

Quick book news before I dive into my five thankfuls:

Seize the Love anthology is going out of print on February 14, 2024. If you haven’t yet snagged a copy of this book, now’s the time, friends. It makes a great Christmas gift for all the readers in your life.

My story in the collection is A Baker’s Heart: After nurturing her own soul with prayer and a favorite book, Cressidia-Lydia bakes scrumptious treats to feed the souls of her neighbors.

Also in the collection is a story called...

“Worthy of His Wages”

Before we dive into today’s article, I have a quick fun note for you.

There is a Springtime in Surrey Art Contest going on right now. All the details may be found on the Wild Blue Wonder Press website.

I hope you’ll have fun bringing to visual life the characters or setting of your favorite Springtime in Surrey novella!

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Friends, this article has been percolating in my mind for two years. I knew I wanted to write it, but I didn’t want to rush it. I wanted to give myself plenty ...

One-on-One Interview with Bailey Gaines

Hello, friends. Today, I’m doing a one-on-one interview with fellow Springtime in Surrey author Bailey Gaines. In this format, we are interviewing one another, so one question and answer will lead into the next. I hope you enjoy it!

Our stories in Springtime in Surrey are:

The Cottage on the Hill by Andrea Renee Cox
If I Knew You Were Coming by Bailey Gaines

Please stay tuned after the interview to learn more about each of these stories.

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Couple of announcements before we ge...

I’m Starting a Newsletter

Friends, I never thought I’d do a newsletter, but here I am, starting a newsletter.

If you sign up for my newsletter, it will arrive in your inbox on the first Tuesday of every month. It will provide you with book news, faith journey notes, and links to recent blog articles. Additionally, there may be an occasional favorite recipe, research tidbits, and random life or hobby updates.

The sign-ups are open now, in the right-hand sidebar here on the blog as well as on the Newsletter page. You...

My Plans for WIF Camp

Write In Faith (WIF) Camp begins in nine days.

I’m nervous and excited and cannot wait to get started. While I wait for that magical day to arrive, I’m planning out what stories I’ll work on during the month of November.

Note: These are working titles. They may be changed before publication.

Melting-Pot Thanksgiving

First and foremost is the short story I’ll be submitting to Wild Blue Wonder Press’s second anthology, Novelists in November. I’m excited about this story about a fost...

Five Reasons Why I’m Looking Forward to WIF Camp

It’s Write In Faith (WIF) Camp season again, and I can hardly wait to get started. Here are a few reasons why.

Reason #1: Friends

WIF Camp is a place where friendships are built. I love getting to know my fellow campers better each session and seeing what fun projects they’re working on and chatting about this, that, and the other with everyone. Spending time with like-minded Christians who also happen to be writers is great fun for me, because not only can we talk about life and faith,...

End-Goal Mindset

Recently, we’ve chatted about creating a chapter-by-chapter outline, writing the first draft shortly afterward, and maintaining creativity within the first draft.

In one of those articles, I mentioned that we ought to keep the end-goal of our stories in mind as we’re penning them. This is crucial for me when I’m drafting (if I know the end of the story before I begin writing) because it keeps me on track. It’s all too easy to fall into rabbit holes of research or let the vein of flexibili...

God Still Speaks

In Bible days, God spoke to His children quite often. You can open the Bible to virtually any page to discover that.

Over the years, I’ve heard lots of people say that God no longer speaks to His children.

This always seemed odd to me–for two reasons. One, His nature never changes. Two, ever since I was a little girl, He has spoken to me pretty regularly, in several different ways. This year especially, with my One Word being Listen, I’ve found again and again that God still speaks in nume...