by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 Are outlines really our friends? Although I loved making outlines in my seminary class because they provided structure for the speeches I prepared, things changed. In recent years, I dreaded making outlines as I wrote books and blog posts. They seemed to confine the feeling I…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 I like watching lawyers argue their cases in TV shows. It’s inspiring—the words they choose, the evidence they present, and their outside-the-box thinking. I was once afraid that if someone were to question my beliefs and argue with me, I wouldn’t know what to say. Or…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 The pandemic may have slowed down our comings and goings, but not the flow of words online. Opinions stream in ... Should we wear masks? Should kids go back to school? How much will remote learning set them back? Is it safe to go to work…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 Her eyes followed the dance instructor’s every move. On the periphery of the dance floor, she swayed to the rhythm of the music as he guided dancer after dancer across the ballroom. Waltz, foxtrot, swing dance. The instructor knew every style, and he became the perfect…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 I tried so hard to make those baby trees grow. Two years ago, I transplanted three small trees from my front yard to the back, and for weeks I “mommy-ed” them. I watered them, staked their six-inch-tall trunks to the ground, and made sure no one…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 Just how much good can we do when we have to stay home during a pandemic?  As writers, we may wonder when publishing houses will be running at full steam again, when we can have in-person book launch parties, and if we can see our friends…