Kennedy Ryan I have always considered myself a pretty confident person. My parents instilled several things in me early on: And this next one was bedrock. Don’t allow other people’s opinions to change the way you feel about yourself. That lesson especially served me well growing up. Peer pressure for me – almost non-existent. I […]

I have heard other authors discussing their experience with assistants, and frankly, some of them were horror stories. I wasn't even clear on what an assistant did, much less being able to assess if I needed, or could afford one. When my friend, Susan Squires, raved about a new assistant she hired, Kelly Oakes, I […]

by Shannon Donnelly I’ve been thinking a lot about story endings, probably because I’m getting close to one in the book I’m working on. But also we watched 2 Guns the other day and it has a fabulous mirror from the beginning to ending—that mirror technique where the last scene echoes the opening scene, but […]

Angela Ackerman Ah, Fall. Can you hear it, the melody of birds chirping? The rattle of sun-lit gold leaves in the breeze? And of course we can’t forget the click and clatter of keyboards as writers everywhere brainstorm, plot and organize their stories and characters for NANOWRIMO. Oh...do I detect an awkward shuffle of feet? […]

Heather Webb The most detested word in the publishing industry, perhaps even in the English language (we writers might argue) is rejection. Even saying it aloud gives you a nasty swirling in your stomach. Whether it be from agents and editors, or readers and reviewers, the word itself embodies our deepest darkest fear—we aren’t good […]