by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 Outlines are our friends, or are they? I loved making outlines in my seminary class because they provided structure for the speeches I prepared. Things changed. In recent years, I dreaded making outlines as I wrote books and blog posts. They seemed to confine the feeling…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 I don’t know how many times I’ve thought, I can’t do this. Writing books. Editing books. Finishing blog posts on time. Thinking up ideas to write about. Talking to people about my writing. Encouraging others to write. I've consistently wondered if I could do it. Self-doubt…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 It matters the words we choose. Stir up or incite? Weaken or languish? Move or sway? When you consider which word to write next, do you also consider the power behind the word? How it sounds to the reader’s inner ear? What picture it portrays? You…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 Every time I hear an incredible Christian soloist, I think, I want to write like they sing. The power in their voice, the soul-stirring words, the motivation I feel to live for God—it’s inspiring. I’ve always wanted to be a singer; however, God didn’t bless me…

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 I hardly ever cry at movies, but I cried at the end of Inside Out. Even though it’s a kids’ movie, I saw how the inside of our brains might work when anger, fear, disgust, sadness, or joy takes the helm. Each feeling was embodied in…

by Katy Kauffman     @KatyKauffman28 Stories are powerful tools for the nonfiction writer. They grab the reader’s attention, add personality to our writing, and illustrate the point we’re trying to make. Whether we’re writing a blog post, an article, or a book, how do we know which story is…