Swap out a beach read for a reference book — or a social media account

Wow, it’s hard to believe that spring is here with all the snow we’ve been getting. UGH—I’m so ready for warmer weather! (Kudos to whomever coined the new word "sprinter" to describe this horribly snowy spring.)

I’m in the thick of writing conference season, which means I wouldn’t be outside much anyway, but at least I’m indoors with some lovely company in the form of other writers.

The benefits of putting words on paper

One of the best parts of writing fiction is the ability to name your cast of characters. I know when I wrote my first stories I didn’t approach this in a scientific or logical way. I just picked names I liked that fit the idea of the character in my head.

I met Bonniejean Alford at one of my favorite writing conferences, the University of Wisconsin Writers' Institute.

We all crave connections--real, meaningful person-to-person connections. It doesn't matter if we work in a solitary profession like writing or if we're in an occupation that just feels solitary. So when I saw Amanda Zieba's year-end post about her Word of the Year, CONNECTIONS, I immediately set aside time to read. 

We all sing about the Twelve Days of Christmas, but you might not have realized that the pagan celebration of Yule is twelve days long, starting (this year) with the eve of the winter solstice on December 20 and ending on December 31. 

A Combination as Good as Santa’s Cookies and Milk:

Incorporating holidays into writing

Use suspense techniques to strengthen your writing.