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How to Thrive and Survive the Writing Life

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 27, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Claire Rudolf Murphy On October 30, longtime writing friend Sarah Conover and I will present a session on the writing life for the NaNoWriMo Readiness Conference. After two days of sessions about elements of craft at Moran Prairie Library, ours will be the final event of the weekend. I teach in a graduate writing […]

What I learned from Michelangelo

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 26, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Mary Cronk Farrell I went to Italy and got smitten with Michelangelo Buonarroti. Yeah, yeah, yeah… the David, the Pieta, la Cappella Sistina. His work knocks us all off our plinths. But as I walked the cobblestones of Firenze (Florence), stood in the shadow of the Duomo, and watched the Arno ripple under the Ponte […]

Scary books worth losing sleep over

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 25, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kathryn Illback Curling up with a good book and something warm to drink is a favorite pastime of mine all through the year, but there’s something particularly wonderful about it in October. The changing leaves, the shorter days, the crisp air, and the all-encompassing miasma of pumpkin spice everything make me want to hunker […]

8 things that (mostly) work for me as a writer

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 24, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kris Dinnison So first I should say, this isn’t meant as advice so much as confession. These are things I do—some commonplace, some mildly embarrassing—that seem to make writing happen in my life. So take what you will from it and know that every writer I know has a list of their own that […]

4 keys to becoming a successful writer

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 20, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kelly Burgess As with any profession, there is no guarantee of success in the writing business. However, regardless of whether you want to break into fiction or nonfiction markets, successful writers have some traits that are crucial to carving out a literary career. Passion Writers write because they feel the need to put words […]

No-trick dog treats for Halloween

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 18, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Stefani Miller If your favorite trick-or-treaters have four legs instead of two and speak in woofs, ruffs, and barks, then they’ll love these treats that are just for Fido and friends! Made with simple, everyday ingredients that dogs love, you can bet these two snacks will get their tails wagging. Along with the […]

4 NaNoWriMo tips for not winning brilliantly

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 13, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Stephanie Oakes I have a confession to make—I’ve never successfully completed NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’ve tried a few times, and always start with huge amounts of enthusiasm, but I’ve never written more than 30,000 words in any given November. But the secret of NaNoWriMo is this—you don’t need to “win” NaNoWriM […]

Bringing family together: picture books for older kids

Posted in Explore and Discover, kids on October 11, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Melanie Boerner Picture books are known for their 40 pages (or less) of illustrations and text that tell a story for young children. And most kids leave picture books behind when they enter higher elementary grades. But wait, don’t disregard picture book reads entirely for these grades! Authors and illustrators are penning picture books […]

Bruce Holbert: Late to the party

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 6, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Bruce Holbert Not long ago, I was asked in an interview, “What took so long?” I was then 52 and publishing my first novel. I don’t have the data at hand, but my guess is I am beyond the mean. The question struck me as impolite. I wasn’t sleeping in doorways or staggering through […]

From reader to writer

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 4, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kelly Burgess If you love reading, you’ve probably wondered if you could try your hand at writing. That’s not an unusual impulse. Many writers got the incentive to start writing either by reading a book that was so amazing they wanted to create that magic too, or by reading a book that was so […]

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