By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills In the past two decades plus, I’ve learned a lot about writing, the publishing industry, social media, marketing, and promotion. Along the way, I’ve made some embarrassing mistakes too. But I’m not diving into those. Here are 12 things I’ve learned about writing since publishing my first book. Maybe some will help you. 1. Research doesn’t …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I was introduced to tenacity in middle school. We had a week of learning about tenacious people and how they were more than determined or stubborn, but persistent in their goals. The teacher designed the lessons to show the value of staying on task and shaking off negativity. Now, I look around me at the number …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills July becomes vacation spectacular for many people around the world, and you may be one of them. Over the years, I’ve simplified my packing method, and I’d like to share with you 10 easy ways to ensure your trip meets expectations with a plan for taking just what you need—and ensuring the perfect vacation. Here are …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A discussion arose on Facebook about books that sparked our childhood reading. What fun, and I found I’d read most of them too. The nostalgia of favorite books that not only kept me turning pages but also encouraged me to write caused me to research favorite childhood books beginning with my mother’s era in the 1930s. …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We live in a comfortable society. But that can be dangerous for writers who choose complacency rather than pouring a steady stream of effort into their writing. Have you ever met a writer who expected and demanded results from readers, other writers, and those involved in the profession without doing their share of the work? It’s …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Each one of us responds to life and its peculiarities with emotion. We are all wired differently, and that makes us all unique. How we mentally, physically, and spiritually interpret happenings is based on inherited traits, our role models from birth, and life experiences. It’s no surprise that many of us deny what we feel. Tonya …
By DiAnn Mills June is National Dairy Month, and what better way to celebrate our introduction to summer than with ice cream. As a girl, I loved Dairy Queen—actually, I still do. One of my favorite memories is my brother choosing to ride in the back of our dad’s pickup with his ice cream cone. The wind picked up and …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Do you know writers who are miserable because they equate success with perfectionism? They seldom find satisfaction with their creativity and are rarely pleased with others’ accomplishments. Some say the perfectionism trait is determined by the writer’s personality, childhood, education, life experiences, and a host of other variables. Really? None of us are perfect writers, so …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Quotes that inspire, encourage, make us laugh, and motivate us into action are those words of wisdom that we return to time and time again. The following quotes are some of my favorites, and they may be special to you too. There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills My mouth waters at the thought of a hot cherry cobbler, one scoop maybe two of vanilla ice cream, and fresh dark-roasted coffee. Yep, that’s May 17th—National Cherry Cobbler Day. According to the dictionary, the definition of a cobbler is: “A dessert consisting of fruit baked in a deep dish with a thick, cake-like crust on top.” The sweet …
