By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Readers ask me how I choose my characters’ names. Every book has the same challenge, and the answer is not simple. Selecting character names is a process, one that involves time and research. I keep a list of names for people and pets, but that doesn’t mean I use them. A character’s identity is who they

DiAnn is excited to keynote and teach at the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference where she will be joined by more than a dozen professional writers, agents, and editors. Join us and take your writing skills to the next level. Details When: March 20-21, 2026 Where: Central Church of Collierville, 2005 E. Winchester Blvd. Collierville, TN 38017 Website  

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 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

  ✨🎭 FREE Webinar Alert! 🎭✨ 📅 When: Thursday, January 16th – 2 PM ET / 1 PM CT / Noon MT / 11 AM PT 💻 Where: Zoom 🎟️ Cost: Absolutely FREE (but space is limited!) Writers, take your storytelling to the next level! Join me and the brilliant Matt Jones from @joneshousecreative as we Explore the Art of

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnn Mills Love and danger have caught the reader’s attention since the beginning of time. Storytellers gathered faithful listeners around a crackling fire and told stories that caused others to tremble with danger and swoon with romance. The match seems perfect, but why does it work? The following parts of a novel show why love and danger

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

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A writing client inspired this post for readers and writers. My client and I were editing his story together. A chapter ended, and so did our time, but he’d successfully created a curiosity in me, and I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what happened next! His response still makes me laugh. “Your enthusiasm for

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Confession time. I can use the same word too many times in a story. I call them pet words, and they can vary from one story to another. It seems my mind forgets the times I’ve already used the same word. Oh, the frustration when I discover the flaw. This leads me to explore editing tools

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Writers today search for tips to help them move forward in the craft. The following are 41 ways to sharpen your writing career. Pray for your writing ministry. Read in the genre you are writing. Read a craft how-to book each month. Read a marketing book each month. Study the bestsellers like a textbook. Study daily