By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin At every writer’s conference or group of writers, there is buzz around the word “platform.” Editors and literary agents are searching for authors with a platform or a personal connection to their readers. What’s that about? Many authors believe their task is to write an excellent…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky I noticed something interesting when I worked as an editor for The Citron Review, the literary journal I founded in 2009. Here’s a quick glimpse of notes I often made to the other editors: Story 1: Sure! But it needs a new title. Story 2: Yes, but it…

By James Hannibal @jamesrhannibal Here we stand on our drop cloth, brushes ready, half-way through the process of touching up your manuscript the way we might touch up a room after painting. Last month, we looked at the first four steps. This month we finish with six more, starting with…

by Lindsey Brackett @LindsBrac Like many of you, concentration has been difficult lately. So has joy. There are simply times when your creative well runs dry—and that’s not even taking all the extenuating circumstances of this year into account.  One of the best habits I’ve set for myself during this…

by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales As we count down the final days until we gather at the Ridgecrest Conference Center for the 2020 BRMCWC, many have had questions about what to expect and how things will work. Not only are there many of you who are new to the conference, there…

By Cherrilynn Bisbano @bisbanowrites While serving in the Navy, there were many years I could not be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I thought  everyone should be home on those holidays.  One year I called home from Spokane, WA.  I just completed an eleven-hour communications mission in a C-130 aircraft.…