By Aaron Gansky @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.”…

by Julie Zine Coleman @JulieZColeman For many years, my friend Beth mentored middle-school girls at her church, with the intent of drawing them into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. One of their weekly activities, "I Spy God," was a time for sharing reported glimpses of Him they had in…

By Cherrilynn Bisbano @bisbanowrites As a writer, my companion is guilt. The cares of the world cause angst and keep me away from my desk. This “friend” needs to vacate the premises. I need to refocus on why I write, who called me, and who I belong to. So, I…

by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea Buffet strategies. I have them. Mostly they fail, but I have them. Stratagem one: load up the plate on the first go-round so I don’t have to go back. But guess what. I always have to go back. It’s a buffet. The beauty of the buffet is…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Oh, the curse of redundancy. It slashes through our writing with woes from our readers. The practice can cost a writer publication or lose readers. Expendable words and phrases don’t have to destroy our writing projects. A writer can master techniques to avoid them. Remember the…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28  The written word doesn’t only stay written. Nor is it completely silent. Even if we don’t read out loud, our minds “hear” the words on a page. As we read silently, our brains pronounce the words. (Like right now, yes?) Sentences don’t stay stagnant on a…