When others have judged our writing good, we feel successful. Since we don’t know what we don’t know that we don’t know, we may not see a need to improve our...

Railroad cars will link together in different ways. We expect the engine to come first, but it's been seen in the middle or at the end. Does it make any...

James Scott Bell says, “A great story has been, and always will be, about a character facing conflict and the suspense of not knowing what's going to happen next.” Telling...

James Scott Bell says, “A great story has been, and always will be, about a character facing conflict and the suspense of not knowing what’s going to happen next.” Since...

You should go, but maybe not for the reason you think. Many aspiring writers think conferences present wonderful opportunities …

Your first paragraph is your only chance for your article or book to make a good first impression. One way to learn how to write great openings is to see...

Some say constructive criticism is a contradiction of terms. “Constrictive” means to “build up,” while “criticism” tears down. There may be some merit to that observation. When we receive criticism,...

More than fifty years ago, when Frank Ball took his first fulltime job, he wanted to make work fun so he could live like he was on vacation year-round. The positive...

A Thanksgiving turkey should be baked to a golden brown, but when it’s overdone, the cook should know what was done wrong. Sadly, writers don’t always know when they have...

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning. — Louis L’Amour Some people think authors sit down and write a bestselling book...