by Maggie Wallem Rowe “Write from your scars, not your wounds.” You may have heard this advice at writing conferences, and perhaps even offered it yourself. I have. Sometimes we are simply too close to loss or a traumatic situation in our past to have the perspective needed to share…

by Blythe Daniel @ByltheDaniel I was in journalism class in college and remember my professor saying in red ink, “What’s the hook to draw in your reader”? Headlines were the prize I was aiming for. Sadly it felt like that was harder to nail down than the story. Today, I…

by Maureen Miller Creds—(n.) an abbreviation meaning credibility; also referring to authenticity. I’m a collector. There. I said it. Whether seashells that hold special meaning or unique stones I find and set in my garden, I enjoy collecting. But unlike the accumulation of this-or-that, much for one’s own pleasure, for…

By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner Voice and style can make or break an author’s novel, so how can we make it stand out from all the rest? Style is the technical aspect of the story while voice relies on character, point of view, and attitude (can be referred to as tone).…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson I began writing like most of you did—as a creative outlet—a way to process the world around me. I kept diaries, started stories and books, played around with articles. But all of these efforts had one thing in common. They were written out of my own…

By Tammy Karasek @tickledpinktam Alone or in a group, there is great value in a writing word sprint. There are many variations on how you can do a sprint. I’ve participated in word sprints with a group in person as well as online. Online you can meet-up on Zoom, Facebook…