Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “writing life”
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills My characters struggle throughout every story. They have a problem to solve or a goal to reach, and nothing about their chosen path comes easily. Along the way they react with emotions shaped by their personality, culture, backstory, DNA, education, and a countless other factors that influence their reactions and behaviors to the world around them. …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I’ve been creating fiction since my husband challenged me to write a book—1996. Actually, it was a dare. “Stop telling me you’re going to write a book someday. Quit your job and do it. If you get anything published in the next year, you never need to go back to your job.” So I did! I …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Welcome to Author Spotlight and Laura Conaway, my featured suspense author. Bestselling and award-winning author, Laura Conaway, resides in Pennsylvania and creates stories with ahealthydose of suspense and happily ever afters while her characters discover triumph through trials. As a former librarian, she’s always searching for the next best read and loves solving mysteries like Nancy …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Whenever someone finds out I’m a writer, I usually see widened eyes, hear a few “wows,” and sometimes I think they smell money. Their reactions always make me laugh. None of these people would want me to balance their checkbook — and most wouldn’t want to spend hours alone inside the writing process either. And I’m …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Writers spend hours, weeks, months, and sometimes years working on behind-the-scenes research in writing a novel. I’m no different. The story must be so real to the readers that they block the outside world and become the character. Research involves thoroughly understanding the protagonist and antagonist. This includes how they live, earn a living, and react/respond …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Have you considered what successful writers eat for breakfast? It must be The Breakfast of Champions, or are they just regular people with normal tastes? I posed this question to several writers, and wow, the surprising responses! I arranged this list from most popular to . . . different. Coffee: 15—This includes the coffee-only bunch. My …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I might be putting my life in my hands with this week’s blog post—but Ask Me Anything. This is a topic that several of you initiated when I asked for blog ideas. This week is for you! Submit your questions in the comments, and let’s have some fun. What is something you’ve always wanted to ask …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 ESV Several years ago, I traveled to Juba, Southern Sudan to research a series of books. During my time there, I stayed at an Episcopalian Compound. Instead of a tent by the Nile River, I opted for a closet-size room as my temporary …
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills BookBub invites readers and writers to a party where both indulge in the joy of books. Readers look for recommendations in their favorite genre, and writers not only encourage the reader to explore their books but recommend other writers’ books. It’s like playing pin-the-tail on your favorite read. Everyone wins. Reader-Focused Features Find your favorite author …
DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Guest Post: Leilani Squires “I think I want to be a writer,” teenager me said to one of my heroes. “Do you have any advice?” Jill Briscoe paused between bites of brunch. “Learn as many styles of writing as you can,” she said, looking me in the eyes. “Then, no matter what kind of genre is of …
