All fictitious stories, short or long, have five elements in common. Without one of these five foundations, your story will fall flat, like a house …
writing
What You Need To Know Before Attending Women Writing the West
Tucson, where cactus grows, cowboys live, and Diamondbacks are revered. You pack sunscreen and sandals. But it's a blizzard outside your window. …
Rivising the End for a Short Story Contest
I just hit the send button for a national short fiction contest. Whew. Re-writers are complete.I decided to take the last two chapters of an …
Re-Writes: Antagonists and Stakes
It was six weeks when I heard back from a publisher about my latest work-in-progress. Waiting to hear back from a publisher tests not only one's …
Self-Editing: Ferocious or Fluffy?
I used to hate editing.Now I love it! Due to Jerry Jenkins and his ferocious editing techniques (I am currently a founding member in the Jerry …
Expert Eyes
Have you ever thought your book, essay or short story was complete, just the way it should be? I have. Until an expert laid her eyes on it. My current …
A New Journey Begins
A mixture of relief, anxiety and sadness flooded me as I sat in my superintendence’s office last week. With tears running down my cheeks, I simply …
Finding My Artist
From the onset of my work-in-progress, I have wanted to find a teen artist to portray my protagonist's art project in the book I'm currently …
Weaving American Indian Life into Fiction
Saturday, March 12, from 11:00 to 1:00 Paty Jager and I will be at ...And Books, Too! and present how we have incorporated American Indian life into …
Character Boards
A Writer’s Inspiration. Character’s come alive to writers in their imaginations, as do plot and theme. But at times, it can be a big challenge …