by Kimberly Brock A few weeks ago I was heading to Cashiers, North Carolina for what was heralded as the answer to my recent writer’s weariness. I’d been driving for several hours, twisting up winding roads where the earth falls away into deep gullies and the air grows thin and the mountain walls weep. I […]

Jami Gold Writing is often about finding a balance. Too much left in subtext can lead to confusion. Too much explanation can feel like an info dump or be too "on the nose." Etc., etc. With our characters, if we want our protagonists to seem heroic, they need to have strong traits. Yet at the same time, if […]

by Susan Spann “Mentor” was the tutor Odysseus placed in charge of his son, Telemachus, before departing on his now-famous odyssey across a mythological version of ancient Greece. Since Homer’s day, the word has come to mean an advisor who comes alongside a less-experienced person to offer help, education, and guidance. Mentorships exist in almost […]

Heather Webb How many posts can we read on writing advice? I’ve read hundreds, yet I always come back for more. Why is that? Besides being passionate about improving my craft, for me, it’s about inspiration. I’m always hoping to find a little nugget to light a fire under my feet or change my view […]

James Preston When I was growing up I read a lot. I had a pattern, a way that I approached books that just evolved sort of on its own. I'd read for a while, get to a really good part and then go off and do something else, something mindless. Often I'd dig a hole. […]