Motivating Magic by DiAnn Mills

Shoving our characters into action sometimes takes a stick of dynamite. Or discovering what motivates them into pursuing a worthy goal. When a character yawns and claims, I’m not interested, we writers haven’t done our job. Before you reach for the matches to light that stick of dynamite, let’s talk about what we can do before page one to create …

The Moods of Color by DiAnn Mills

Writers choose specific colors for their characters that indicate their personalities and emotions. Colors establish mood, affecting the actions and reactions of those who experience them. Consider the following colors and explanations to see where you fit with your color choices. Red is a vibrant color that causes strong emotions. From warm and comforting to anger and hostility. Red can …

The Light Side by DiAnn Mills

I write suspense and work hard at plunging characters into one abyss after another. My goal is to have danger creep across my characters’ lives in every scene while adding a spark of romance. Sometimes my hero and heroine are wounded. Sometimes they have to display courage when they’d rather run. Sometimes they have to find logic in the midst …

Giving Back by DiAnn Mills

Writers are in the business of learning all they can about their craft. We attend conferences and learn from those who are successful. Our personal libraries contain the how-to books as well as books from our favorite authors’ both we study. We labor over our manuscripts while aiming for perfection. The publishing world is not for the fainthearted and to …