By Debb Hackett @debb_hackett Contests are a big deal. Aren’t they? I’ve crashed and burned, semi-finaled, finaled, and won in four different events. Truthfully, winning was way more fun than bombing. But was it more useful? Statistically, there is a tiny chance of entering a contest and winning, so why…

by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Ed.D. @khutch0767 Recently, I set a timer in thirty-minute increments to begin an edit I was absolutely dreading. Three hours later I’d also rewarded myself with a pile of snacks, a hot cup of tea, music, and the promise of an epic Hallmark binge. We each have tactics…

By Larry Leech @LarryJLeechII My son recently got me hooked on a game that pits two factions of ships against each other in a cosmic battle. I love games that involve strategy. This one features that, as well as quick thinking and more options than I can wrap my mind…

by Lynn Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn  Holiday writing can be tough. Okay, that’s a huge understatement. Holiday writing can be BRUTAL. There. That’s more accurate. As someone who has been on a deadline every holiday season for the past four years, let me share some words of wisdom for those of you who…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin Within the writing community, I’ve often read, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” According to Ryan Holiday in his book, The Perennial Seller, this statement is attributed to Ernest Hemingway. Then Holiday continues saying, “This is…

by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales Some days I find myself sitting at the computer, staring at the blank screen. No matter how hard I try to make them, the words just won't flow. Maybe I'm overtired. Maybe I've got a multitude of worries on my mind. Who knows. One thing I'm…