by Lindsey Brackett @lindsbrac Terry Kay told me recently, at a writers’ workshop in the Sautee Valley, that I am too young to write true southern fiction. He’s right, of course. I didn’t live through the civil rights movement, and while I remember when we got our first VCR, I don’t…

by Katy Kauffman     @KatyKauffman28 Stories are powerful tools for the nonfiction writer. They grab the reader’s attention, add personality to our writing, and illustrate the point we’re trying to make. Whether we’re writing a blog post, an article, or a book, how do we know which story is…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Every writer has a story. Some of the behind-the-scenes events strike a gallant pose of purpose and education and inspiration, while others are mediocre in the uphill climb to the mountain called Publishedville. We all have a journey to take for our dreams to see reality.…

By Katy Kauffman, @KatyKauffman28   “Wonderful” sticks to the heart as much as it does to the mind. Memories of fun-filled travels, time with family and friends, and special moments make a home within us forever. Books can do that too. Wonderful happens when a book speaks to us about…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills   A writer cannot plunge their characters, protagonists and antagonists, into action unless deep psychological needs are clear, and powerful, unresolved goals—both external and internal—are established. How can a writer discover what these characters want and need, as well as their strengths and weaknesses? I’ve had…

By Holland Webb, @WebbHollandLyle   Once upon a time a man named Writer lived in the Valley of Unpublished with his wife and 14 hungry children. One spring morning, a herald arrived in the valley with a message. "Flee this valley! It is soon to be destroyed." "Where shall we go?"…