By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Tweet this: Celebrating Writer Milestones Every writer has her own definition of achievements, and most of us celebrate success in different ways. I posed two questions to some of my author buddies. Loved their responses and I think you will too. What is a writing milestone for you and how do you celebrate? Lynette Eason –

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Tweet this: Christmas Gifts for the Writerly Soul It’s that time of year, and most of us are in a quandary of what to give our writer friends. We want them to know they are loved and appreciated with the perfect item that suits their personality, but what? Search no more! The following will help you wrap

Tweetable – Latest From DiAnn’s Desk – The Flabby Arms Syndrome via @DiAnnMills http://bit.ly/1MWlhDG #WritersLife (Click to Tweet)   Not so long ago, I took a critical look at myself, and I didn’t like what the mirror revealed. I have flabby arms. Some of you call these bat wings or fly-zones. I refer to them as dangling participles, nothing I want on me

Tweetable – Latest From DiAnn’s Desk – Coffee – The Overflowing Cup via @DiAnnMills http://bit.ly/1I0Zvt1 #WritersLife (Click to Tweet)   If there’s such an organization called CSA, Coffee Snobs Anonymous, then I’m a prime candidate. Nothing beats a superb cup of dark roast coffee. No cream. No sugar. Just good fresh roasted brew. My interest occurred began at the age of twelve when

Tweetable – Latest From DiAnn’s Desk – A Funny Thing Happened via @DiAnnMills http://bit.ly/1FSJrYj #WritersLife (Click to Tweet) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way … Recently I attended the Write To Publish Conference in Wheaton, Illinois as part of the faculty. My job was to teach a continuing class on The Dance of Character and Plot. Fun! The idea of meeting up

Tweetable – Latest From DiAnn’s Desk – The Life I’m Living via @DiAnnMills http://bit.ly/1KlgQPB #WritersLife (Click to Tweet)   The Life I’m Living and the Life I’m Observing I’m a lot like you. Average in so many ways. I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, neighbor, friend … and writer. Perhaps the last descriptor is what makes me different from most people. Yet

Tweetable – Latest From DiAnn’s Desk – You Know You’re a Suspense Writer When … via @DiAnnMills http://bit.ly/1JLE0xY #WritersLife (Click to Tweet) You Know You’re a Suspense Writer When … I love this topic. When suspense writers get together, discussing stories and plot twists keeps our adrenaline racing. We can talk about suspense for hours because we live it. Our friends and families

Tweetable – Latest From DiAnn’s Desk – In Case You Invite Me to Dinner – via @DiAnnMills http://bit.ly/1OwKDei #WritersLife (Click to Tweet) I look forward to the times I’m able to cook or bake. Varied recipes appeal to my creativity, whether the food is an appetizer, main course, or dessert. Busying myself in the kitchen is also a different venue for my hyperactive

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

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