by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea Infomercials almost always worked at my house. When we were raising our five kids, I’m not sure a week went by without one of them running to me with some version of: “Mom! We have to get the Kitchen Magic Missile! It does the work of 25…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Story Payoff is not a writer gripping the handle of a slot machine and hoping the reader gets it. That friends, would be a gamble. Who wants to risk their story, a work of the heart that has taken weeks, months, or years to create? The…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin When you boil it down to the basics, writers and editors are both seeking the same thing: excellent writing. For many years, I’ve been writing for magazines and I’m a former magazine editor. One of the publications (Decision) where I was Associate Editor reached 1.8 million…

by Ane Mulligan  @AneMulligan I cut my writerly teeth on dialogue: As a script writer for stage plays, particularly sermon-starters. I didn’t add directions or interpretation. I left that up to the director. Of course at that time, I was the director, but that’s neither here nor there. In the…

By A.C. Williams by @acw_author When did someone spoil a book or movie for you? Generally speaking, people in the storytelling business are very cautious about spoilers. But sometimes you can be too careful, especially when you’re writing a story. Sometimes, one of the best sources of tension in your…

By Alycia Morales @AlyciaMorales Here are 21 summer adventures to go on that will inspire your writing: The beach. Listen to the ocean waves crashing on the shore. Smell the salt air with the tint of fish and sunblock. Feel the sand beneath your toes. Crack open the cold drinks…