by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted One. Two. Three, four…five. Yep, Five. And that’s just the ones I’ve written three chapters of. You’ve heard it said to keep a notepad by your bed. This way, when you wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a story, you…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted We all want the words, "Your historical fiction was unforgettable." Nothing is sweeter than having a reader tell you why they loved your work. It may be unforgettable characters, an enthralling story, or a description. Readers come to historical fiction to be transported to an era…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Writers use multiple programs, aids, and tools in their writing. We attend conferences to learn new and unique trends and updated basics to help make our writing life easier. One thing we forget is that all writing tools are necessarily about the craft of writing. Sometimes…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Though a few still hang on the horizon, most conferences have happened by the end of summer. We've worked hard to prepare. Submitted to contests, asked for one-on-one critiques, and special mentoring. All the I's were dotted and the T's crossed. The doors swing open and…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Nobody knows the difficulty in getting on that next novel or article better than I. Between health issues with my husband, dealing with a 99-year-old Momma, a son with disabilities, and conference travel, trust me. I know how challenging it can be to get started on…

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted I opened the manuscript and began to read. Nice description, story seemed interesting but two chapters in, I still knew nothing about the protagonist. What happened? The writer had laid some good building blocks, but what happened to the protagonist. The best way I can explain…