By Ramona Richards  @RamonaRichards A few weeks ago, I had a lengthy conversation with an author about those greatest of author expectations: sales. Oh, we all dream of receiving “The Call” (or more likely these days, The Email), celebrating that first contract, having those great marketing moments and interactions with…

by Sandy Kirby Quandt @SandyKQuandt Borrowing a phrase from that spinach-eating sailor, Popeye, I thought about how sometimes life shivers our timbers. Especially when our world shifts, as it has recently, leaving us to balance the teeter-totter of life without hitting the ground with a solid thud.  Purely on a…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Let me begin by giving you this somewhat obscure statement. For others, we must. I recently worked with a writer who'd never written a novel before and as we worked through her critique, I could hear the discouragement in her voice. Sympathetically, I asked, "Do you want…

By Larry Leech @LarryJLeechII Sun. Sand. If not sand, maybe a pool instead. Or maybe a nice, quiet cabin in the woods. Whatever your pleasure, a good book, or books, is necessary. With summertime right around the corner, compiling a summer reading list might be near the top of your…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky Admit it, you’ve seen the plot mountain to the left countless times. This is how you learned the parts of plot, yes? But, if I may be so bold, I’m not a fan of this diagram. Sure, all the parts are present, and the names are…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson By and large writers are an observant lot. Things others might brush over or miss entirely stay with us, sparking ideas that blossom and grow. An overheard conversation can lead us to the plot of entire book. But like any skill that comes naturally, there's still room…