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by Katy Kauffman  @KatyKauffman28 This special season of autumn ushers in some favorite traditions�sipping on pumpkin spice lattes or hot apple cider, collecting crimson leaves on cool walks in the evening, and dodging spider webs in corn mazes. Why not add a new tradition to your fall calendar? A blog series.  Blogging week after week becomes daunting. It�s hard to come up with new ideas for blog posts in the midst of a busy schedule. Don�t panic. Relieve some of the pressure of blogging weekly by incorporating series into your blogging calendar.   When we write a series on our blogs, we have a plan that relieves anxiety and opens the floodgates of creativity. We can choose the theme, and before we ever start the series, we can brainstorm posts to fit into that theme.  A series can last from three weeks to twelve (or more). Allow yourself some spontaneity by scheduling some �random� posts between the series. Then enjoy a schedule of planned and unplanned topics....

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 Takeaway is the heart of our writing. What do you want your readers to take away with them once they�ve read your blog posts, articles, or books? That answer drives every paragraph, molds every sentence, and selects every word.   In last month�s post,  Tips for Creating Meaningful Takeaway for Your Reader , I gave six types of takeaway to include. This month, let�s talk about insight. That�s what our readers want. They want to know how to solve a problem, answer a question, or meet a felt need. They want meaningful takeaway written by people who have discovered the answer, who know the subject from the inside out. Our insights won�t be perfect; only God�s are. But with His help, we can deliver insight that�s practical, proven, and profound.  What do we include if we want to write with insight?  I � Integrate Biblical wisdom and life experience Our readers want to know how we have lived out God�s principles. They need to see examples o...

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 We buy books because we�re hungry�hungry for a good story, hungry for an encouraging message. When I consider buying a nonfiction book, I read the back cover and flip through the pages looking for the takeaway. What good things can I �take away� from this book? What message, hope, or practical advice does the author share? I also find out whether the author has a conversational voice and good lead-ins. (For that last one, it�s the writer in me kicking into gear.) But I care the most about the takeaway. Do you? Pinpoint Your Takeaway Before you write a book, identify your purpose for writing. Are you sharing hope, offering encouragement to a particular group of people, or giving practical steps for a specific plan? Once you know your purpose, write a paragraph describing what you hope the reader will gain from your book. Streamlining this into one paragraph can be one of the hardest things to write in a project, but this is your takeaway. You can expand ...

by Katy Kauffman  @KatyKauffman28 If someone read the first line of each paragraph in your book, would they buy it? I tried that exercise once, afraid of the answer. It taught me to pay closer attention to my paragraphs. Each line that begins a paragraph is like one of those people who are hired to stand on a corner and hold a sign that says: Come visit so-and-so. Except, your first lines hold an invisible sign that says: Keep reading!  So try it. You�ve probably heard that customers look at the first line of a book to see if they want to buy it. But remember that they are likely to skim more of your book to make a final decision. Help them out. Take the first chapter of your work in progress, and read the first line of every paragraph. Then ask yourself the following questions. 10 Questions to Test the Quality of Your First Lines Do my first lines make me want to read the whole book?   Do they make me want to read the paragraphs they begin? Have I used enough vivid nouns...