by Warren Johnson @haversackhisto1 I wrote my first novel on a whim. Sort of like Jeremiah Johnson, who ignorantly walked into a bear hunt. “That'll be far enough, pilgrim!” If I’d had someone say that to me, I could’ve avoided the dangers of moving into a wilderness full of awe…

By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky The last class I taught at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer's Conference was how to write explosive short fiction. It’s a topic near and dear to my heart. As an editor of The Citron Review, an online literary journal specializing in flash and micro fiction,…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 When we want to write Scripture-based content, we have an adventure waiting for us—to be readers of Scripture. In order to write the best possible messages for our readers, first we have to take in the message. To understand it, know it, and live it. Then…

By Debb Hackett @debb_hackett Blue Ridge 2025 is rapidly approaching. This might be your first or fifteenth time attending, and as always, it’ll be a different experience for several reasons: Different faculty – but all preparing to make a difference in your writing journey Different attendees – who knows who…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted A few years back, I had a writer friend fuss at me. "Pick your lane and stay in it. You write everything, but are you proficient?" I thought this was a writer friend. Actually, he is. However, his newness to the industry helped me excuse his…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin David Smith loved language and ignited an excitement in his English teaching at Peru High School in Peru, Indiana during the late 1960s. Of modest height with receding sandy hair and a bug-eyed appearance, Mr. Smith loved his students and reached out to challenge them. As…