by Lindsey Bracket @LindsBrac The Enneagram is a great tool for building authentic (and flawed) characters. Experts believe everyone carries tendencies of the nine different types—which makes us (and our characters) incredibly complex. The Enneagram’s focus is discovering what motivates you to act the way you do—which is exactly what…

by Alycia Morales @AlyciaMorales Many people love to write and choose to do so as a career. It has its pros and cons, but the joy we get from writing makes it worth those. The question is, which of those pros and cons are scary? [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="#writing #writerslife"]8…

@RhondaRhea A lot of my friends have adopted a more active lifestyle and started new workout routines of late. When they all do it at once like that I’m usually shamed into joining them. This time, I’ve decided to do resistance training. Because nobody resists training like I do. People…

@DiAnnMills Dissecting character motivation ushers in the potential of improving your novel to bestselling status. Writers sift through a character’s behavior to find the inner quality that drives the character into action. This core, the deep physiological problem plaguing our character, must be resolved before the character can change and…

Yep, you read the title correctly. Last year, all the dates for ALL our conference contests changed. We are continuing with that schedule. Be sure to note the schedule on your calendar so you don’t miss the entry deadline. New Categories Added In addition to last year’s date changes, we…

@LisaCarter27 I’ve always been in love with words. Before I learned to read, I can remember rolling words around on my tongue, savoring the flavor of the sounds. Words are powerful. Words can be used for good or evil. As a writer, teacher and speaker, I search to capture just…