#writing 2/4

of blades & thorns

the official blog of author grace a. johnson

Grace A. Johnson

Oct 1, 20233 min read

grace & gratitude

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ L.M. Montgomery October has come in a flurry of leaves and cool breeze,...

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guest post | difficult fiction (and why you should read it) by m.c. kennedy

Grace A. Johnson

Sep 15, 20235 min read

guest post | difficult fiction (and why you should read it) by m.c. kennedy

Hello, hello, all! I'm super excited to have M.C. Kennedy on today! She's got a wonderful post for us, which I think will inspire and...

44 views5 comments

friends & forbidden projects | august updates

Grace A. Johnson

Aug 5, 20235 min read

friends & forbidden projects | august updates

July is actually over, folks. Not only that, but we’re already five days into August. Summer is practically over—although where I live,...

117 views14 comments

guest post by colleen scheid | writing with our hearts open to God

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 24, 20236 min read

guest post by colleen scheid | writing with our hearts open to God

Welcome back to Of Blades and Thorns, folks! I'm back after an accidental week-long sabbatical to bring you another inspiring guest post!...

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guest post by erika mathews | as an author, i'm also a preacher

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 17, 20237 min read

guest post by erika mathews | as an author, i'm also a preacher

In our final guest post, the prolific Christian nonfiction and kingdom fantasy author Erika Mathews is joining us to share all about her...

43 views4 comments

guest post by katja labonté | my top writing tips

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 12, 20239 min read

guest post by katja labonté | my top writing tips

Y'all, I am super excited for today's Springtime in Surrey guest...none other than Katja Labonté!! I've so enjoyed following her blog the...

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guest post by rachel leitch | why young adult fiction inspires me

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 10, 20237 min read

guest post by rachel leitch | why young adult fiction inspires me

Today's guest post comes from Rachel Leitch, author of “The Odd Duck Society" in Springtime in Surrey! Now, I know most of y'all are YA...

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guest post by andrea r. cox | strangers to romance...in a novella

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 7, 20234 min read

guest post by andrea r. cox | strangers to romance...in a novella

Raise your hand if you love strangers-to-lovers! Of all the tropes out there, there's nothing quite like the classic strangers-to-lovers...

59 views13 comments

guest post by kellyn roth | arranged marriage romances are always dirty...right?

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 5, 20237 min read

guest post by kellyn roth | arranged marriage romances are always dirty...right?

If you've stuck around my blog long enough, you've no doubt discovered that there is little in regards to blogging that I like more than...

113 views15 comments

Grace A. Johnson

Jul 3, 20236 min read

good books & gratitude | july updates

For the first time in the last several years, I actually wish June hadn’t ended so quickly. Festivals, weddings, and VBS went by in a...

97 views18 comments

Grace A. Johnson

Jun 3, 20233 min read

humility & humidity | june updates

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear...

92 views14 comments

first chapters | overcoming the common mistakes

Grace A. Johnson

Apr 24, 20238 min read

first chapters | overcoming the common mistakes

The first chapter is a precarious little booger. If you’ve never struggled with those first few words, that first couple paragraphs, the...

101 views12 comments

Grace A. Johnson

Feb 3, 20239 min read

3 tricks to writing vivid fight scenes

Admit it, fight scenes are difficult. Even the veteran writers who have watched their favorite movie fight scenes hundreds of times,...

94 views16 comments

guest post: why do you write? finding your why by kaytlin phillips

Grace A. Johnson

Jan 27, 20235 min read

guest post: why do you write? finding your why by kaytlin phillips

I hope y'all have enjoyed learning more about Writers' Vision the last couple days! I'm so excited to have Kayti on for one final post,...

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interview: kayti phillips, founder of writers' vision

Grace A. Johnson

Jan 26, 20235 min read

interview: kayti phillips, founder of writers' vision

Interested in learning more about Writers' Vision? Then you're in the right place! Kayti's joining us for a wonderful interview all about...

36 views6 comments

Grace A. Johnson

Jan 25, 20233 min read

spotlight: writers' vision

The short of it is, Writers' Vision is a truly amazing and uplifting community for young and aspiring writers to grow, learn, and...

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5 tricks to writing pristine prose in any genre

Grace A. Johnson

Jan 18, 20236 min read

5 tricks to writing pristine prose in any genre

I don’t know about you, but my prose differs in some way in every single book, genre, and POV type I write. Sometimes, in a lovely...

74 views4 comments

Guest Post: God as the Master Author by M.C. Kennedy

Grace A. Johnson

Oct 7, 20225 min read

Guest Post: God as the Master Author by M.C. Kennedy

Don't tell me I'm the only one who hears "God is the master builder, He is building me" from The Donut Man in my head. Never mind. I know...

35 views7 comments

Romance Q&A Pt. 5: Comedy, Romance Movies, & Unintended Romance

Grace A. Johnson

Aug 29, 202215 min read

Romance Q&A Pt. 5: Comedy, Romance Movies, & Unintended Romance

Well...there are a few painful confessions in this bunch of questions! Who knows what hard truths you might learn about yours truly!...

129 views32 comments

Romance Q&A Pt. 4: Love Songs, Heroines, & Christian Content

Grace A. Johnson

Aug 22, 202220 min read

Romance Q&A Pt. 4: Love Songs, Heroines, & Christian Content

This just might be my last installment, guys! I'm out of questions now, so unless y'all have more (BRING 'EM ON!), I'll be taking a break...

97 views21 comments