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 DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last week I finished a book and sent it to my publisher. Celebration time! Relief and satisfaction soared through me for completing the writing project. As always it was difficult from the time I researched my story idea until the editing stage. Editing is as much…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A writer writes. A writer edits. A writer submits for publication. A writer is rejected. A writer ? How do you handle rejection? Do you crawl under your desk and quit? Or do you view the news as an opportunity to rework the writing project and…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Social media is about helping our readers walk through life a little easier. Those we help come in all shapes and sizes and occupations, but what is important is that our message is clear and fulfills and need. Writers are problem solvers. Many blogs and webinars…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We writers have habits, some quirky, that help us begin new writing projects. Today I’d like to share with you how I organize my thoughts and preparations before writing chapter one, line one of a new novel. I’m mostly an organic/pantster writer, but some things I…

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I live and breathe story—most writers do. And we’re always looking for ways to ensure our characters and their predicaments are exciting and unique. Some of the places we look can be a bit . . . different. But the exploration is worth it. Here are…