by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 God had to change my mind about editing. I used to think of it as an overwhelming process with almost no end in sight. Now I think of it as a treasure hunt. I may be looking for grammatical mistakes and typos—not exactly treasures. But there…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A reader asked me how I discover the antagonist when I write a story. The short answer is: discovering the bad guy or guys is as much a surprise to me as the characters and the reader. For those of you who know me … and…

by Diane Holmes THE PHONE CALL Jackie, our daughter, left for Botswana, Africa, on October 23rd, 2017, the day after her 55th birthday. The next news we got was a phone call from Barry, her husband, on November 15, asking that both Lyell and I be present and the phone…

by Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams As writers most of us have read, underlined, highlighted, and even, heaven forbid, dog-eared Steven James’ Story Trumps Structure. Apparently, the average American reader agrees with Mr. James. In a recent article appearing in the Review section of the Wall Street Journal, Adam Kirsch tells…

By Penny Reeve I wonder, did you set writing goals at the start of the year? And if you did, have you had a chance to take stock and review them yet?  The planner I use regularly incorporates a review process as part of its core features. Because of this,…

by Lynn H Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn It's hard to turn a parked car. Ever heard that one before? I can’t remember where I heard it first, but it’s so very true. You can be in the car, behind the wheel, motor running, ready to go. You may even have the brute strength…