Sonja Yoerg The act of writing is an exercise in managing symbols. Every word, after all, is attached to a universe of meaning; the bit we formally agree upon is the definition. Everything else a word signifies exists in a web of personal memory, experience and emotion. If I write “moon,” your brain lights up […]

Barbara Claypole White I’ve always been comfortable in my own skin, and yet I’m a hot mess of insecurity about everything I write, including this blog post. Why? Because it matters to me. Writing is my passion, which makes it a soft target for that inner voice of worry. Doubt has been my constant companion […]

Christopher Lentz Unless you’re trapped in a 1953 Zenith television, your world is full of color. Whether you know it or not, you’re reacting to the hues that bombard you every second you’re awake. And, if you dream in color, the rainbow never ends for you. It beats me, but there are claims that we […]

Before we jump into Kathryn's wisdom, I wanted to let you know - the winner of Laurie Schnebly Campbell's class is....Olderwriter! We'll be in touch, Eveyln! Turning Whine Into Gold By Kathryn Craft On the first page of her book Wired for Story, Lisa Cron says: "Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what […]

Laurie Schnebly Campbell EVERY story is an adventure. We already know these characters will come face-to-face with all kinds of excitement, challenge and danger--whether that danger involves dastardly villains or a reluctance to fall in love. A lot of readers are thrilled when a story’s main adventure involves bullets, pirates, dragons or floods. Sometimes all […]