My friend Kim (aka The Well Dressed Writer) loves red shoes. She says they're sassy and classy and can elevate an outfit from boring to brilliant. She's right. I like comfortable shoes. Clogs. Crocs. Converse. These go-with-everything clearance finds that slip on easy when I'm headed out the door for…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson Most writers I know are part of a conflicted group. We’re driven to write—spending time composing poetry, writing books, researching articles. We doodle titles, character names, and plot ideas on scraps of paper. All the while feeling guilty about the time we spend pursuing our dream. I…

Attempting to write during the Christmas holidays adds another line in the dictionary’s definition for stress. We’re busier now than at any time during the year. Our planning and preparation is fun, and we feel like kids who’ve eaten way too much sugar. But the joy of the season vanishes…

Up on a bookshelf A reader’s list Filled with Christmas Novels as gifts. Down through the aisles With lots of books, All with metaphors and crazy hooks. Ho Ho Ho A writer would know. Ho Ho Ho A writer would know. Oh, up on a bookshelf Click Click Click Down…

I was talking with a good friend of mine, Torry Martin, at a conference, and we got into an interesting discussion. He mentioned that being submissive was something that writers don’t often consider. The look on my face must have clued him into my confusion because he went on. “It’s a…

Dear Authors, Publishing is a double-edged sword. It brings us great joy and equal frustration. Daily, publishers post information about the terrible state of the industry, driving us to ask the question, “Why do we even bother?” It’s this question that prompts my letter to authors, both new and seasoned.…