by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 We all want a happy ending. But no life reaches a happy ending without some conflict. That’s why we need novels and nonfiction books. We want to see someone overcome the odds and win the victory, find their true love, or solve the crime. We want…

@DiAnnMills Some of our character’s traits are easy to discover. Physical description, food preference, a career choice, favorite color or food, wants, goals, and other basic attributes that can be revealed in a non-threatening manner. Life experiences that had painful physical, mental, or emotional outcomes are often hidden beneath a…

@LisaCarter27 So you’ve got this idea for a story . . . What do you do now? Do you sit down and pound out something? Then encounter bewilderment five chapters later? There are 3 stages in novel writing—pre-writing, writing, and re-writing.But the writing will stutter-step to a halt if first…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky As is sometimes the case, one of my students asked me a particularly good question. What surprised me is that it had to do with my blog. Don’t get me wrong, I know several of you check in often, but my students rarely do. “So, Mr.…

by Lindsey Brackett @LindsBrac NaNOWriMo is coming up next month. Use these seven tips to help yourself make the best of it. [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="- @lindsbrac on @BRMCWC  #writing"]7 Ways to Get the Most out of #NaNoWriMo [/tweet_box] Establish a REASONABLE daily word count.If you have a full-time job,…

By Alycia Morales @AlyciaMorales As writers, we tend to be collectors of quotes. We hoard them on Pinterest boards, in notebooks and sticky notes. We use them in our nonfiction and devotionals. And share them on social media. Some of us turn them into memes to share with other writers.…