by Edie Melson @EdieMelson  Being a writer of hope is something I’ve made a deliberate effort to become. I think it’s something we all should consider. There is so much in our world these days that can lead to hopelessness if we let it. Because our business is words, we…

by Lindsey Brackett @lindsbrac When I first started teaching at writers’ conferences, I represented Splickety Publishing Group, a company entirely devoted to the art of flash fiction. But before I began attending conferences, I didn’t even know flash fiction existed. Once I discovered it, though, working in this form of…

by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales Around nine years ago, I had a midlife crisis. It wasn't big. It wasn't drawn out. I didn't go into a deep depression and want to hide in my bed. It was more like a blip on the radar of my life. I'd been serving…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson As working writers, our lives sometimes seem governed by word count. We use these numbers to set goals, define projects and sometimes even determine our victories. But it’s important to also view these numbers as a guide to show us how far we’ve come. I remember…

By Tamela Hancock Murray @Tamela_Murray August may seem early to be thinking of May, but it’s not! I hope you are planning to go to the conference next year. If you’re not sure, below are seventeen reasons to consider the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer Conference. Oh, and in case…

by DiAnn Mills @diannmills Characters, like people, need a place to escape tension, stress, and conflict when life’s challenges threaten to steal their optimism. A writer uses a character’s happy spot to add a slice of real life to a three-dimensional character. The character knows where this place is and…