By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Welcome to Part II of SOS - Settings on Steroids. A character who lives in the setting will not make the same observations as a visitor. A seasoned character's emtions are different from a novice in a specific environment. The seven universal emotions, according to Tonya…

by Alycia W. Morales     @AlyciaMorales When we think about writing, puppies aren't necessarily the first things that come to mind. Unless they're the characters in a children's book. Or their name is Marley. But really... [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="#BRMCWC #amwriting"]How is writing like whelping puppies?[/tweet_box] Anticipation Cinnamon, my dog, was…

by Bethany Jett, @BetJett There is a lot of excellent writing advice. Honestly, I could spend hours curled up on the couch scrolling through agents’ blogs, websites on writing tips, and scanning Pinterest pins on the subject. But there are two “writing” tips that have the ability to either help you excel…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Ah, setting, the frail stepchild of fiction. How often we neglect this vital member of story, insisting character, plot, dialogue, and emotion are much more important. We dress her in rags, have her clean the chimney, then criticize her for lack of beauty. Setting is the…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson Publishing is a tough business. It’s almost impossible to write anything for public consumption without feeling like you’re throwing your heart into the lion’s den. And I don’t know about you, but I give these negative comments a lot more credibility than the positive ones. The…

by Bethany Jett, @BetJett Someone will critique your work – it’s inevitable – and you don’t want the first experience on your project to come from your publisher. Therefore, having a few trusted people available to review your work can be helpful for your writing career. Officially or unofficially, this is your critique group.…