By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills It’s June, and most people are looking forward to a vacation. But is that on your summer calendar? For some, a staycation makes more sense. Tension and stress war against our minds and bodies, making it critical to leave our work-related obligations behind. Becoming consumed day after day with fulfilling responsibilities is a vicious trap. We …
10 Ways To Identify a Writer
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We writers can be a bit eccentric, sometimes bizarre, and those who love us may wonder if we need to be on meds. The truth is we’re creative people, and we look at life a little differently. You may be wondering if you’re a writer or suspect someone close to you has the ability to string …
What do Lions and Writing a Novel have in Common?
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Lions fascinate me. They represent nobility and respect, and their muscular bodies are to be admired and feared. No fat anywhere. Like I hope my stories resonate with readers. The more I thought about lions, the more I realized writing a novel has much in common with these animals. Here are my 10 comparisons. If you …
Food for Praise
By Rhonda Rhea @DiAnnMills This week’s post is from a writer-speaker friend, Rhonda Rhea Kids have super weird yet extremely discriminating palates. I know this to be true. I raised five of them. I’m telling you, I remember toddlers completely snubbing dinner, then half an hour later eating a dirt clod and washing it down with bath water. It’s not …
Tips to Add Balance to Social Media
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We’ve all experienced the occurrence of “alone together.” It’s a reference to social media users: a crowd of people busy with their devices and ignoring those around them. Social media is a valuable connection and communication tool designed to link people all over the world. Imagine the impact we can have on other people’s lives for …
Write a Caption and Win!
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills This week is an opportunity for you to win a $25.00 Starbucks Gift Card! All you need to do is write a caption for the image below and submit it in the comments. The contest closes Friday, May 4th at 12:00 p.m CST. I will then select my top five captions from posted comments and place …
Honoring the Women Who Shaped Our Lives
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last week, we lost a remarkable and talented woman, Barbara Bush. She was the wife of President George H. W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush. That says a lot about her special traits without mentioning a single other attribute. We’ve all been touched by her dynamic personality. Of all Barbara Bush’s many accomplishments, …
Healing From Life’s Scratches
By Julie Garmon @DiAnnMills This week’s blog post is from Julie Garmon, a long-time friend and great writer. For months I pretended not to notice, but last week there was no denying it. As I vacuumed the den, the late afternoon sun poured through the windows, highlighting the scratches in our pine floors. Our floors had been through hard times. Life …
The Best Part About Being a Writer
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills The best part of writing is you, the reader. Last week I shared “A Fiction Writer’s Hardest Task”, and this week I want to talk about the fun stuff. My list may not contain every writer’s favorite moments, but these are most treasured to me. Entertain A writer’s stories are built on a foundation of pleasing …
A Fiction Writer’s Hardest Task
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last week a reader asked about my hardest task as a writer. I had to think before answering. I’m in the midst of line edits before turning in my next story, so I’m totally emerged in every word, goal, voice, gesture, motive, plot line, romance, suspense, symbol, character(s), emotion, dialogue, narrative, transition, spiritual impact, as well …