by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 We all want a happy ending. But no life reaches a happy ending without some conflict. That’s why we need novels and nonfiction books. We want to see someone overcome the odds and win the victory, find their true love, or solve the crime. We want…

by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea How can you tell it’s fall? The answer:  Pumpkins. Not necessarily pumpkins in the garden. No, it’s about much more than that. It’s pumpkins on every store shelf in every form you can think of—and some you never thought of. And some you’d rather not ever have…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We’ve all heard about the importance of first impressions. Maybe we’ve been misjudged and suffered. What can we do when ours is tainted? We can apologize, even justify, our behavior. But unfortunately, that initial meeting can’t be undone. Last week, I spoke with a writer friend…

By Edie Melson @EdieMelson I remember the first time I ventured onto twitter. It’s an intimidating site, full of unfamiliar terms and strange rules. Beyond that, the more people I followed, the more confusing the newsfeed became. To my untrained eye, all those 140 character bursts were just disjointed and…

By Leilani Squires I met with a college student the other day. She was considering a career in writing but wasn’t sure the direction she was headed was the right fit.  While we sipped coffee, I asked questions and listened to her ideas and dreams. I answered her questions. I…

@DiAnnMills Some of our character’s traits are easy to discover. Physical description, food preference, a career choice, favorite color or food, wants, goals, and other basic attributes that can be revealed in a non-threatening manner. Life experiences that had painful physical, mental, or emotional outcomes are often hidden beneath a…