'Tis the season to set some goals! What do you hope to accomplish with your writing this year? Where do you see yourself this time next year? While you're setting goals for writing, consider the following: 1. You can only control yourself,…
Happy New Year! At this time of new beginnings and fresh starts, let me tell you a secret: unlike many things in life, you don't have to learn everything in art from scratch. Instead, you can build on the experiences of centuries…
Since it is December and during the holidays (Merry Christmas to all you Christians out there today!), I decided to spotlight an author that has become famous for his children's book, The Polar Express. This piece of literature came out in 1985…
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given is that, “In order to be a good writer, you have to be a good reader.” I don’t remember where I first heard this, but ever since I heard it my…
Christmas isn't just ubiquitous in stores this time of year. Every sitcom has to have a special Christmas episode. Authors with established contemporary series are often compelled to write a Christmas novella or short story, usually bringing together characters who have never…
Illustration may be largely about producing good art, but there are other aspects to the practice that, if neglected, can keep you from being successful. One of these aspects is the people you know. “Networking” is a word used widely in the…
This month we will be spotlighting Wendy Knight. While she does not have the longest track record of authors, she shows what a lot of hard work can do. So you want to write and can’t stop dreaming about that day when…
One of the most interesting things about poetry is the emotions that it can cause. In all honesty plenty of the poetry assignments I wrote for school were meaningless and were simply words that fit into whatever format it was that my…
I'm going to come clean: I don't write short stories with any regularity. I wrote quite a few in school, but my natural inclination is toward novels. Longish ones. So I know the theory, but not much about the practice. David Farland,…
A good artist spends a lot of time looking at art. Observation can teach you what works and what doesn't without having to spend time attempting things yourself. However, if you're anything like me, looking at the amazing art others have done…