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  And, no, I am not going to say “character, character, character,” although character is one of them.  Compelling characters—people we feel we must understand—can send a mediocre plot into the stratosphere.  A fascinating character, one with depth and true complexities, can drive me into a story and I’ll never let go until the last word. The second element?  A …

 ”Faith without action is only hope.” There is a quote to hit you right between the eyes.  A friend said it to me the other night and since then I’ve been turning the implications of his words around in my mind. Almost every day someone will tell me he or she wants to write.  They hope to publish a book. …

What is it?  Something few people have.  You think everyone has it because you do—but they don’t.  Millions of people love stories.  Thousands long to write them.  But they won’t, because they lack that one quality that separates the writer from everyone else, that pesky imagination. Writers don’t think of stories like everyone else.  We instantly see the ropes and …

In January, I pick a word for the year. This is a practice of my friend Felicia Mason, one of the most dynamic women, and writers, I know.  She says focusing on one powerful word can lead to unexpected results.  She’s right. Last year, my word was Passion.  I strove to put passion into every facet of my life.  No, …

I am one of the most disorganized people in the world.  I get alot done, but often with the smoothness of Taz, the Tasmanian Devil. My largest challenge is guarding my “writing” time.  This isn’t just time I spend in my office, but time I use to put words on paper. Years ago, I started writing from four a.m. until …

My friend Tim Jungr always introduces the last speaker at WRW’s Writer’s Retreat.  It’s a tradition that has become one of my favorite parts of the conference.  He’s witty and wise, a fabulous writer (three Golden Heart nominations).  This year I was the speaker he introduced and he made me laugh so hard tears came to my eyes.  I asked …

Last night as I lay sleeping, I dreamt O, marvelous error- That there was a beehive here inside my heart And the golden bees were making white combs And sweet honey from all my failures Machado de Assis   This past weekend I was at a writers conference. During the question and answer period after my presentation, I was asked …