Gwen Hernandez A lot of the scenes I write get deleted or gutted, but that doesn't mean I want to lose my original words. Because of my crazy writing process, I have to lay down a lot of words before I find the core of my story. Which means I often go back to old scenes […]

Margie Lawson Hmm…  Cold hard stare. Have you read that descriptor before? Maybe more than once? More than a dozen times? What about variations on these lines: She narrowed her eyes to slits. His eyes popped open as wide as saucers. She scowled. He arched a sardonic eyebrow. What happens when readers read phrases or […]

I first learned about the 12 Stages of Physical Intimacy from Linda Howard, who used to give a very popular talk on the subject based on the work of Desmond Morris, Intimate Behavior: A Zoologist's Classic Study of Human Intimacy. On the downside, Linda has stopped giving this workshop. On the upside, she has spoken […]

I took one acting class in college. In addition to discovering I didn't want to pursue drama, but simply storytelling, I learned some of the challenges of portraying a character's persona to an audience just beyond the stage. One tidbit was my takeaway that you need something to do with your feet, your hands, your […]

Tasha Seegmiller When we have clarity with our writing, we know where we are going, whether that is genre or the project. Having clarity in our writing is like going on a hike — there may still be some unexpected things, but there is path, and we know where the path will lead. Variety in […]