Brilliant

For Writers

Hurry Up and Wait

In college, I did a lot of theater. I’d make it to the stage by our call time, get my hair and make-up done, rush into my costume—then sit there. And wait. I was ready. My butterflies had started their tap-dancing routine. I wanted to get this show going already!

Genre Happenings

A Gypsy Camp

Imagine the year is 1915. A band of Gypsies have camped for the night. They are near a small, southern town called Coatopa, Alabama. But this is not your ordinary group of travelers. These migrate with the king of the Romany Nation, Emil Mitchell. His wife is in labor, struggling to deliver her fifteenth child.

DiAnn Direct

Creating the Essential Backstory

The other day I was having lunch with girlfriends and the topic of diet came up. Not exactly what I wanted to hear with the holiday eating taking revenge in my rearview mirror. The diet discussion continued, but instead of plans to move forward, we confessed to what we’d eaten to get ourselves into an expanded...

The Well Writer

Jillian's guest this month: Kathi Lipp

As you log on to your computer this New Year, you’ll be bombarded on Facebook and Twitter with dozens of links to “Making Goals for the New Year!” articles that all say basically the same thing: When making goals, be realistic and make sure that your goals fit in with your lifestyle. Attainability is the key to making your plans a reality.

Author By Night

Rejections as a Stepping-Stones

When I read accounts of aspiring writers expressing their disappointment after they’ve received a rejection, my heart goes out to them. I’ve been in that same place where rejections seemed an endless circle for several years after I began writing seriously. They caused me to wonder if I’d ever be published, if I were on the right career path.