by Bethany Jett, @BetJett “Send it to me.” The four most beautiful words to a writer’s ears at a writers conference. The beautiful rush of validation hits your tired and overflowing mind and soul. The late nights and self-doubts have all been worth it. Someone important wants your work. Then…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Every novelist reaches a plateau in which the perfect story idea isn’t coming together. The plot germ is there, but the theme, setting, characters, and storyline seem to spin out of control. By using the acronym, BRAINSTORM, you can bring the whirling to a halt and…

by Hope Welborn @WriteawayHope Writers Conference. These two words can strike fear into the souls of every introverted writer hiding behind her hipster glasses, organic green tea, and laptop. Or maybe that's just me. Meeting new people, meals with strangers, and the dreaded 15-minute appointments with faculty. These things can…

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 Bethany Jett @betjett We want to hear from you! If you attended the 2016 Blue Ridge Christian Mountains Writers Conference, please take a moment to fill out this quick evaluation survey. We want to know what we did right as well as what we can make better for this…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills While writing my latest novel, a shocking realization punched me hard in the stomach. My manuscript was littered with worn out and overused words. Originality had been replaced with a nasty disease called redundancy. Creativity slumped into a corner and buried her head. My disease had…