Short stories are a good means for taking risks with writing. Challenge yourself to try a different genre or Point of View.

A character's impact on the plot involves all their traits. Background, personality, flaws, and strengths influence the plot and move the story forward.

Strengths are a character's positive qualities–not just things they’re good at. Ellen shares 24 cross-cultural strengths to make your characters relatable.

Working with young children provided me with a different way of seeing the world. Life lessons from children serve as invaluable resources for writing and life.

Flawless characters are boring. Character flaws increase the odds that things will go wrong, sometimes horribly wrong. Ramp up the conflicts with flaws.