I admit it—I am not a normal television watcher. I’ve joined the millennials in this phenomenon of “binge-watching” television shows—where I watch one or two a night, or even for an entire weekend, and saturate my entire mind with the show. I love doing this—I recently binge watched The Crown. I’m about to binge-watch last year’s Dr. Who. I spent all of December, January and February binge-watching Longmire. Except, there’s a problem with this habit. When it’s over, I sort of wander the house searching for something to fill the show-hole in my life. You know what I’m talking about—it’s the sa ..read more

by Amy Leigh Simpson, @amyleigh_sim There are times when being an author feels like a dream. I get to pour out the stories of my heart and there are people taking the time to read them. As a homeschooling, writing mama of three, time is precious, and there is perhaps nothing more flattering than knowing someone is spending time with my lovingly and often painfully vetted musings. Whether I’m painting with sweeping sentiment or opening a vein onto the page, my words are live. They’ve reached far off places I’ve never been. They’ve connected with strangers in my own town. They’ve dazzled an ..read more

by Pepper Basham, @pepperbasham It was one of those dark and stormy nights. Literally. The thunder crashed with residual vibrations through the house. Lightning lit the rooms with its unpredictable flashes, and my (then) six-year-old daughter curled up against me, whimpering. She’d hated storms ever since she was very small and this one was a doozy. As usual, I hugged her close and told her things like… “I’m right here, baby. And God is with you all the time. Even when I’m not. Even in the middle of storms.He will be with you.” To this, she said. “But sometimes I need someone with a face on ..read more

by Gabrielle Meyer, @MeyerGabrielle Rejection comes in many different forms. It might be that a critique partner has given you disheartening feedback. Maybe an agent doesn’t like your book idea, or an editor has turned down your project. Perhaps a reader has left a one-star review. Whatever the rejection may be, it can hurt and tempt us to give up on our dreams. As writers, we put our heart and soul on the page and when someone tells us it’s not good enough, it can be devastating. So how do we persevere? Here are five ways I’ve learned to keep going on my writing journey. Use Rejection ..read more