by Cindy Sproles @cindydevoted “I have a memoir.” An excited conferee sat across from an acquisitions editor. An awkward silence seeped across the table. The editor tinkered with the manuscript. “We aren’t looking for memoirs.” “But your site says you publish them.” “We publish memoirs if you’re Brad Pitt, George…

by Sarah Van Diest @SarahVanDiest What do you do when you have writer’s block? Do you try to write in spite of nothing to pen? Read new books or watch bad movies? Take a long walk off a short pier? What do you do?   [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="via @SarahVanDiest…

by Aaron Gansky @adgansky You're using language when you write. Can’t do it without. But language is more a term encompassing vocabulary, imagery, and figurative language. Though it’s of vital importance, it seems to be the thing that is most often overlooked. As writers, we put notoriously little thought into…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 I hardly ever cry at movies, but I cried at the end of Inside Out. Even though it’s a kids’ movie, I saw how the inside of our brains might work when anger, fear, disgust, sadness, or joy takes the helm. Each feeling was embodied in…

by Robin Luftig @RobinLuftig Attending a writer’s conference is one of the best investments an author-in-waiting can make. But beware. Nobody ever tells you to watch out for the depression that may be lurking when you get home. Think about the months prior to the conference. You put all your…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted When the seeds are planted, you never know what will sprout. We made a tough decision – to take down a huge 40-foot elm tree damaged from lightening. It towered over our home and with each storm that passed, we wondered if the massive tree would find its way…