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When 2 + 2 Still Don’t = 4

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of plurals (see 2 + 2 Doesn’t Always = 4), let’s look at…

Quite an Odd Couple

One of my favorite television shows of all time is the classic Odd Couple from the 1970s (not the…

Find Your Writer’s Voice Through Blogging

I enjoy blogging about the Appalachian mountains where I live. My blog speaks to the traditions, faith, lifestyle, and…

Twisting History: How Much Fact Should Go Into Your Fiction?

By Doug Peterson In the Oscar-winning movie, Braveheart, the hero William Wallace of Scotland falls in love with Isabella,…

Top 5 Posts for Every Travel Writer

“My last point about getting started as a writer: do something first, good or bad, successful or not, and…

Writing is like crossing the streets of India

I traveled to Hyderabad, India recently and we had one day of sightseeing and shopping in the city. This…

Happy Easter!

Calling All Muses

I recently downloaded Sara Groves’ excellent album (CD? What do we call it these days?) Floodplain, and one of…

Five More Confusing Word Pairs to Consider

We’re continuing to examine words that are used incorrectly. Enthused/Enthusiastic—Although enthused has become acceptable in standard usage, old school…

A Simple Exercise for Finding Your Writer’s Voice

Many of us belong to writers groups that meet regularly with the goal of honing our writing skills, finding…

5 Sites with 24 of the BEST Travel Blogs, Websites, and Apps

As much as I’d like to say that the following travel sites are in celebration of the renewal of…

Questions Childen’s Writers Should be Asking

When I was in India recently, our team leader told of an Indian child who asked her if the…

How’s Your Posture?

One of the occupational hazards of the writing-editing life is back and/or neck pain as a result of poor…

All Choked Up

Have you ever tried to impress people? Given that extra effort to stand out in the crowd, to get…

A Shell of a Draft . . .

Shortly after moving to the Islands, a new habit easily became walking early on the beach. On one particular…

Resources for Finding Your Writer’s Voice

“I write only because there is a voice within me that will not be still.” –Sylvia Plath Are there…

Cracked Pots

Sometimes we feel like cracked pots. An old story tells of a water-bearer in India who daily carried two…

Overcome Evil With Good

I remember when I had my first Twitter shock a few years ago: I discovered that people post pornography…

Do Your Research Right When You’re Writing Historical Fiction

I’m not sure what historical novelists did before the advent of the Internet. What takes a matter of minutes…

Where to Begin?

Where to begin? I had a friend ask me this question recently, who is interested in writing a young…

3 Questions to Ask When Setting Your 2016 Writing Goals

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible to the visible.” -Tony Robbins Whether you’re a natural…

Are You a Plot-Driven or Character-Driven Writer?

What comes first? Do you begin with a great plot idea, and then create characters to fill out the…

How to Become a Teen Marketeer

Becoming the Teen Marketeer As teen writers we’re faced with the question, “are we marketable?” And in an adult…

Christmas Newsletters and the Writer’s Voice Within

There are two schools of thought about Christmas newsletters we receive from friends and family. One group loves them,…

5 Fun Gifts for Your Favorite Travel Writer

Tis the season to gift, and be gifted! Maybe you may have a favorite travel writer on your list,…