by Lindsey Bracket @LindsBrac Back in the days of face-to-face classes, I took a workshop at a writer’s studio with Joshilyn Jackson, a NYT bestselling author. I’ve long admired her work and her kindness—Joss is actually one of the first writers who embraced me as a newbie, offering valuable advice.…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills If you’re like me, writing can be a war zone. Every day I march to my computer and battle with words. Sometime I carry the flag and stand on my desk and scream victory. And other times I hide under my desk and cower like a…

By Penny Reeve I’ve been de-cluttering lately. Possibly because I find sorting things a strangely therapeutic feeling, and with the whole family learning, working and studying from home, I’ve been in need of some of that! But also because the decluttering is long overdue! My ‘dump-everything-here’ cupboard was nearing the…

By Ramona Richards  @RamonaRichards A few weeks ago, I had a lengthy conversation with an author about those greatest of author expectations: sales. Oh, we all dream of receiving “The Call” (or more likely these days, The Email), celebrating that first contract, having those great marketing moments and interactions with…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky Admit it, you’ve seen the plot mountain to the left countless times. This is how you learned the parts of plot, yes? But, if I may be so bold, I’m not a fan of this diagram. Sure, all the parts are present, and the names are…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson By and large writers are an observant lot. Things others might brush over or miss entirely stay with us, sparking ideas that blossom and grow. An overheard conversation can lead us to the plot of entire book. But like any skill that comes naturally, there's still room…