By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted The writing industry is tough. Since 2008, when the economy collapsed and publishers began to struggle, everything changed. An already tight industry became even tighter. Writers once sought after the thousands of slots for publication and now they vie for the few hundred available. There is…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted I’m a jack of all trades and master of none. At least that’s what my mom always said. She taught me to continually learn new things and become innovative. I may not master every secret or ability, but I have a good feel for what can…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Learning the skill of writing comes with a lot of vague areas. For example, writing on a publishable level is different than writing a college paper. To clarify, the grammar doesn’t change but the styles are two different bears. There are times that the only way…

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted Editing is difficult. Especially when you’ve worked hard to pen the perfect words. It’s tough to look at a scene or a paragraph and come to the realization that it needs to go. I’ve found this is especially difficult for new writers. Once they get…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Writing a story and being a storyteller are two different animals. Many can pen a story but those who learn how to tell a story are the ones who captivate a reader.  Learning to tell a story is not just a gift. It’s the product of…

By Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted Let me begin by giving you this somewhat obscure statement. For others, we must. I recently worked with a writer who'd never written a novel before and as we worked through her critique, I could hear the discouragement in her voice. Sympathetically, I asked, "Do you want…