@ADGansky Often, as writers, we tend to take the path of least resistance. We’ll throw in a tired, worn-out cliché because it’s easier than actually thinking of an original description. The result is a lot of the same stories with the same characters and the same “plot-twists.” Unfortunately, nothing makes…

@LynnHBlackburn In my humble opinion, your fellow writers are at least as important and in many cases are more important to your success than any agent or editor. Now hear me out on this. I have the BEST agent. BEST. There is no way I would be where I am…

@LindsBrac Except for the last two months, in which I launched a bookand directed Oklahoma!(hello to my own type 3 tendencies), we’ve been discussing the Enneagramas a tool for building authentic (and flawed) characters. There are nine Enneagram types—and experts believe everyone carries tendencies of each type. But the beauty…

@DiAnnMills Symbolism is a tangible items that means something psychologically to the character—and translates to the reader the same emotional response. James Scott Bell states, “From the start, we have a connection . . . .” The character(s) and the reader form an attachment to an object that no longer…

@DiAnnMills Writers often struggle with how to incorporate symbolism into their novels or if it’s even necessary. How does it fit into premise and theme? Does it heighten emotion? Does it encourage the reader to see beyond the obvious? Is it part of the story line? How does a writer…

@EdieMelson I read somewhere once that good dialogue is a conversation with the boring parts taken out. I completely agree. Just record and transcribe a normal conversation and you’ll see that it isn’t all that interesting to read without a lot of judicious editing. But even armed with that knowledge,…