The basis of every good story is conflict. As writing teacher extraordinaire James Scott Bell often says, “Happy people…
February 23, 2021
A health guru… Stale wheat… A tight budget… This hodgepodge of events would lead to the creation of a…
February 20, 2021
I read a ton of great middle grade series in 2020 and I’m excited to share just a few…
February 16, 2021
It’s a complicated time to be an author trying to build your platform on social media. It’s a weird…
February 7, 2021
Last year I let a screenwriting and producer friend with 30 years of experience read the first draft of…
February 4, 2021
Want to write a novel, but aren’t sure what genre to pick? Write What You Love That’s a good…
January 27, 2021
The short answer is YES! While falling in love can happen anywhere, the choice of your setting sets a…
January 23, 2021
“Many books for children feature children. Your writing will be more natural if you are aware of the rhythms…
January 21, 2021
What can authors learn from the world of psychotherapy? According to the Microsoft Bing definition, a psychotherapist “treats mental…
January 17, 2021
Happy 2021, my MG friends! Anyone else excited about having a fresh, clean, slate of months ahead in which…
January 16, 2021
The new year. A great time to try something you haven’t done before. How about writing articles? Many people…
January 14, 2021
Happy New Year, awesome authors! As writers of speculative fiction, military forces are a staple in many of our…
January 7, 2021
As the pandemic unfolded last year, a story concept I toyed with for years kept coming to mind, mainly…
January 4, 2021
The First Impressions Contest is held every year by ACFW. This year, Annette Griffin made it to finalists’ list…
December 27, 2020
You might have heard that “Rhyme is a crime,” and that editors don’t like rhyming board books and picture…
December 21, 2020
Outside of studying the necessary and ever-increasing number of how-to books on writing, character building, plotting, showing and telling,…
December 17, 2020
As we look ahead to a new year and a new opportunity to write and learn, I wanted to…
December 16, 2020
You might be surprised to read the title of this post. Aren’t editors always right? Won’t you doom your…
December 14, 2020
As writers of speculative fiction, military forces are a stable in many of our stories. Basing these on a…
December 7, 2020
Thanksgiving is over and we’re eagerly awaiting Christmas and the new year! It’s a safe bet 2020 hasn’t gone…
December 4, 2020
Guys, I have been a huge Lisa Samson fan since forever. In fact, I distinctly remember reading the Christy…
November 27, 2020
What drives your character? What is his or her motivation for pursuing their goals, whether it’s defusing an atomic…
November 23, 2020
Thanksgiving morning! Heroine’s day begins in the kitchen helping Mother stuff Tom Turkey. Task done, they lug the heavy…
November 20, 2020
There’s nothing better than a creepy villain. A deranged killer on the loose terrorizing your hero and heroine. A…
November 17, 2020
As a writer, a teacher, and a SCBWI regional advisor, Kiri Jorgensen has observed an evolution in children’s publishing…
November 16, 2020
