by Edie Melson @EdieMelson Even today—with as many blogs on the Internet as there are—blogging is still a valuable part of building and maintaining an online community. But it’s rare for a blog to take hold and grow, if it’s not a place where comments proliferate. Almost no one likes…

By DiAnn Mills @DiannMills   Welcome to the second blog of Mastering Plot. On June 29th, we talked about: The writer’s goals in establishing a dynamic story. Developing unique characters. Showing how characters lead the way in plot The value of forming a story idea In today’s post, we’ll talk…

By Vincent B. Davis II @vbdavisii On June 30th, a little after midnight, my first novel was listed for Preorder. Needless to say there was a lot going through my head. Were my promotional sites prepared? Did I have my newsletter in order? Did I have a social media presence…

by Bob Hostetler @BobHoss At the recent (and wonderful!) Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, I had occasion several times to mention the fact that I compile and generally follow an annual reading plan every year. As a writer, of course, I afford reading a high priority in my life.…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson I’ve never met anyone who had an easy life. I’ve met a lot of people that looked like they did—from the outside. But once I’ve gotten to know them, I quickly learned that things were never what they seemed. This holds true for writers. Those who…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills How do you determine the heroine in your novels? Discovering who my female character is and what matters to her takes time and patience. She’s not a victim, although she might have been in the past. Because of that critical experience, she’s changed and grown into…