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Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Escalating Conflict

Sit down with a good book and hope for a relaxing evening. The opening sentence immediately captures your attention,…
March 17, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
CHECKING in with YOU

This blog has been such fun. I’ve truly enjoyed writing it, reading what others on A3 wrote, and occasionally…
March 16, 2020
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Three Ways to Use History to Build Your Fantasy

Margaret Atwood is well-known for her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian first published in 1985. Her novel covers…
March 7, 2020
Screenwriting
High Concept

Recently, I was motivated to start work on a new screenplay, one that has been a passion project of…
March 4, 2020
Romancing Your Story
When Romance Writers Read and Create

In my opinion, anyone who says they don’t have time to read might as well say they don’t have…
February 28, 2020
Writing for YA
How to Alienate and Offend Readers: Diversity and Sensitivity

What’s sensitivity reader? A sensitivity reader may not be what you think it is. These are not “thin-skinned” readers…
February 27, 2020
History in the Making
Comic Relief: The Golden AGe of Comic Books Amidst Americans in Crisis

Comics Book #1 landed on newsstands in June 1938, and from its pages Superman soared into the lives of…
February 20, 2020
Devotional/Christian Living
5 Ways to Make Social Media Less Frustrating

If you are going to be a Christian Living or Devotional author, then you are going to need a…
February 19, 2020
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Setting the Hook

Without a perfect bait a fisherman loses their chance in catching a fish. They must take their time and…
February 17, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
My Fifth Anniversary

As an adult, writing has been a mainstay of my professional career. I majored in journalism, interned at newspapers,…
February 16, 2020
Magazine and Freelance
Put Dialog on a diet

Like delicious desserts, dialog is often a reader’s favorite part of a story. We quote great dialog for generations.…
February 14, 2020
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
How Setting Can Be a Worthy Villain

It takes a spell-binding plot and evocative characters to create a memorable story. Some writers meticulously plan each plot…
February 7, 2020
Screenwriting
What’s the Point?

Recently my best friend and I met up for our first guys’ night out of the year, after eating…
February 4, 2020
Writing for YA
Tips for Podcasting with Author Tara K. Ross

I love a good podcast and listen to several. Recently, I found The Hope Prose Podcast by young adult…
January 27, 2020
Romancing Your Story
Tension is Necessary in Romance Fiction.

If you are writing a clean or Christian romance, you still need to build tension in your story. Depending…
January 23, 2020
History in the Making
Unexpected Treasures

As both a reader and a writer, I enjoy spending time in book stores and libraries. This year some…
January 20, 2020
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Research: Time-waster or Story-builder?

“I write fiction. Is research really necessary?” “… a novelist has nearly the same obligation for accuracy as a…
January 17, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
New Year, New Goals

It’s a brand new year. That means a new start to achieving new goals and a fresh clean slate…
January 16, 2020
Magazine and Freelance
Don’t Let “Bio Foxes” Spoil Your Article Submission

For almost ten years I’ve served as the editor Reach Out, Columbia magazine, a regional publication dedicated to celebrating…
January 14, 2020
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Stage for Your First Page

There’s a video floating around somewhere online (numerous, probably!) of J.K. Rowling reading her first pages to eager readers.…
January 7, 2020
Screenwriting
Inciting Incident?

Now that a new year is here, I want to start going in another direction. This year’s focus for…
January 4, 2020
Writing for YA
New Year, New Goals

The new year is almost upon us. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, why not try to come up…
December 27, 2019
Romancing Your Story
Does Romance Really Mean “Happily Ever After”?

As a little girl I was enthralled with the classic Disney tales of princesses finding their “Prince Charming” and…
December 23, 2019
Kids Lit
Get a New Perspective! Find a New Twist!

Once in a while, I come across a book so unique and wonderful that I think, “Wow, I sure…
December 21, 2019
History in the Making
Notes from a Contest Judge

Have you ever entered your work in a writing contest? These contests are organized by organizations like the American…
December 20, 2019