What do your characters do when faced with adversity or an imminent threat? How do they recover from one of life's knock-out punches? Conflict powers our stories and our character's personal growth arcs, so we throw a lot at our beloved protagonists. How they "catch" what we toss at them defines not only their essential […]

I thought I was going to make a blob-like paperweight, until Nate, our teacher, showed me a gorgeous straight-sided largish vase. He asked what color I'd like to make the glass, but I was so stunned by the piece he held in his hand, I couldn't answer. "Or you could make it a different shape." […]

Jamie Raintree When I first started writing, I wanted to know all the answers. I consumed craft books, writing blogs, and the suggestions of writers further ahead in the publishing journey than I. I thought being a successful writer was just a matter of getting the right information. I thought if I could just learn […]

Let’s face it, the characters you write about are often more familiar to you than your own family and friends. After all, they’re with you 24-7. Fixing dinner for your family: “So, yeah, hey, you know I think I’m actually allergic to goat cheese which means you really need to scrub that entire amazing scene […]

Jessica Strawser Mumble-mumble-cough years ago, back in my high school days, I was what you might have called a hopeless romantic—in the doe-eyed, day-dreamy way of those who have yet to actually experience romance, let alone real hopelessness. At my bedside was a faux wood clock radio, and every night after my lights were out, […]