I Have a Dream: Defining Your Characters' Dreams

Confession: In the last seven years, almost every movie I have watched has a princess in it. I would guess I've seen all of the Disney princess movies at least ten times.

There's one Disney movie my children have played several times a month and I never get sick of it. Tangled.

I'm convinced every writer should watch this movie. A villain with depth. Quirky characters that defy the Disney "mold." A compelling beginning. A fairy-tale worthy ending that is "earned."

Do you have a favorite song from Tangled? Three guesses what my favorite is....

Let me set the scene. Snuggly Duckling is an eating establishment hidden in the woods. Hero Flynn Ryder brings Rapunzel in to the disreputable inn to frighten her from running away from her guardian. Rapunzel is naive to the world's ways. Mother Gothel keeps her locked up in a tower in the forest, isolated from the rest of the world. Reading, baking, cleaning, painting, and brushing her hair have been Rapunzel's sole entertainment. 

When Flynn and Rapunzel step into the Snuggly Duckling, they are surrounded by a clan of men in brown leather wielding weapons. Every metal detector's nightmare. Hook Hand Thug and his friends determine to make some money off the arrival of the "wanted" Flynn Ryder. 

Her entire life, Rapunzel dreams of watching as hundreds of lanterns are launched from the nearby village one single day each year. She needs Flynn to help her achieve this. Therefore, she is ready to defend Flynn with her handy weapon, a frying pan. 

"Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream??!!" Rapunzel screeches out in frustration when even her trusted frying pan does not ward away these thugs. 

Rapunzel backs away as Hook Hand Thug makes his way to where she is standing and raises his axe high in the air. 

Ready to watch a chase scene, the viewer sits tense in her seat and then bursts into fits of laughing as Hook Hand Thug belts out "I had a dream once..." as he pounds on the ivories.

What is your character's dream? 

Dreams are a vital part of who your character is and show you what makes them tick. We spend a fair amount of time dreaming in our heroine's head, but each character has a dream that is essential to making your character likeable. We want to invest in their dreams. A good character's dreams become our own for at least a few hours.

What can we learn from Tangled about creating our character's dreams?

• Make at least some of your characters' dreams unexpected... We delight in the dreams of the misunderstood thugs who run Snuggly Duckling. These characters are violent rogues, yet their dreams amuse us because they are surprising. The wart and goiter covered lanky gentleman wants to fall in love. It is wonderful because it is unexpected. The reader is thrilled when his dream is realized. How can you choose a dream for one of your characters that will create surprise and delight in the readers?
• Don't forget to make the reader look deeper to find "layers" of the character's dream. Flynn Ryder is the first character we see and hear in the movie. At the beginning of the movie, Flynn takes a valuable tiara belonging to the lost princess from the palace. Flynn and his thief buddies appear to be mainly caught up in gaining riches for themselves. His heart seems to beat with the thought of the notoriety he earns as a "wanted" man. As Flynn is lowered in through the ceiling of the palace to steal the crown, the guard sneezes. "Hay fever?" Flynn questions. The viewer sees here that Flynn is more interested in the chase than the actual loot. We find a deeper insight into Flynn's dream as he opens up while sitting around a fire with Rapunzel. Here we learn Flynn is an alias for Eugene, an orphan boy who grew up poor and alone. Here we begin to understand, Flynn's true dream is to be known. 
• Bring in another character who will validate your character's dream. Rapunzel validates Flynn's true desire to be known by asserting to him that she prefers his real name, not the name he picked out of a storybook to impress others. She shows here she values Flynn's dream and who he is as a person.
• Don't forget your villain has dreams of his/her own, in addition to a desire to thwart your main character's dream. Mother Gothel's dream is to live forever and maintain her youth. Rapunzel thwarts this dream by making an escape from the tower and seeking to find out more about the lanterns launched from the palace each year. Make your villain's dream compelling and realistic.
• What does your character most fear and how does that relate to their dream? After leaving her cloistered tower world and the only human contact she has known, Rapunzel tells Flynn her fears. "What if its not everything I dreamed it would be?" Perhaps your character reaches what she thinks is her dream only to find disappointment? Maybe you just need to peel back another layer, like in Flynn's case? Perhaps the dream brings little fulfillment because it is only a cover for the character's real dream. Fame, riches, even romance can all come out empty and meaningless. What lie does your character believe that may keep him or her chasing false dreams?
• "You get to find a new dream." Flynn tells Rapunzel. There is no end to the dreams of our characters. Keep the conflict going. As soon as your character reaches their dream, leave a new dream dangling out of reach on the horizon. 

What are your character's dreams? 

 Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also a reviewer for Library Journal, Christian Library Journal, and Title Trakk.

The Confession of a Blank Canvas to a Toolbox Guru

On Flickr by Zen

 You've set up your file with the grid in place. Your layers are labeled in a long list on the right side  your screen...their order intelligently determined. The Opacity is set at 84% on Layer Back Story, and 20% on Layer Character Motive. Each color is balanced to perfectly portray your image...ahem... your setting. And you've plugged in coordinates after coordinates to get it just right.

You open the Text tool and find your font, and place it in the corner at the top of your "canvas" and title it:

Novel 1: Outline Complete

Then click on the menu, scroll down to "Sharpen", and witness your story shine EXACTLY how you expected it to...with your coordinates and layers cheering you on as you type,

"Complete Manuscript" on page 353, just as you had plugged into your outline.

You are probably chuckling at my exaggeration of a Plotter...or a Toolbox Guru to fit the above Photo editing software illustration...but, oh you Plotter-- is it true?? Does it make you tingly to think about outlining each chapter, every plot twist, and thoroughly knowing your character (after all you've interviewed her, her grandma, sister, mom, and coworker) before she's even entered Chapter One, Scene One? If you do just a little bit...do you know how much you are envied? By me?

Let me give you insight into what I refer to as A Blank Canvas...thanks to my dear Alley Cat, Pepper, who helped me realize this post after an amusing conversation about our "different", non-plotter way of tackling a book.

We take a blank page. A canvas, if you will,

     and...

G    A    S   P...

      we...

  t-y-p-e. 

Oooooh, does that scare all you plotters out there? Sometimes, I feel like I should hang my head in shame. How can I not fill out page upon page with each plot point, each chapter, each twist, each drama, each whatever-you-call-it, and build that foundation before I start on my first bedazzling sentence (well...in this fashion of mine (and Pep's, because I must have a partner in crime in this confession...) our first bedazzling sentence is just that, our first...because we might go through twenty different first sentences before we come up with the one that is just right).

On Flickr by Diamond Farah

Do not fear. Or don't think that us Blank Canvas'rs, (I really don't like the implications of being considered blank or a canvas...but for lack of a better term since I am a procrastinator and it is very late...hm...that may have something to do with being a Blank Canvas'r....) please don't think we will never complete a novel successfully...ha! The thing with the Canvas'r  is, we take each brush stroke and begin to "sketch" what we've daydreamed in our mind, or roughly mapped out on an old Hershey's bar wrapper. And if our paintbrush decides to flick a new splatter over here and deepen a motive over there, then we begin to add a new color and take our story in the direction of the paint. We allow the art of writing to create the story on the page...right then and there.

I firmly believe that it really comes down to the way we are wired. There is no right or wrong in this...actually, for the Canvas'r, we might have to go through a little more touch up before adding our signature in the bottom corner...because, after all, the journey's been long and our paintbrush has a mind, or two, of its own!

"To thine own self be true." -William Shakespeare

God is so great. He allows each of us to do His work in a way unique to our gift and our style. Whether you resonate more with the Toolbox Guru, developing a solid outline, a plotted story that takes you from point A to point B just as you had decided in Phase 1,
or
you breathe a sigh of relief that there are actually nuts like me (ahem, and Pepper...and Amy, so I have heard ;)), just like you, who really don't mind crafting the story like a lump of clay--slowly forming the piece without really knowing what fabulous curve or interesting texture you'll create until you're just at that part....

No matter which of these you are...or if you fall somewhere in the middle... trust that the journey is yours, and if you stay true to who you are, equip yourself with the knowledge of the craft, prepare yourself with either the grid or the paintbrush, and listen to your heart and the story, then your confession as a Blank Canvas OR a Toolbox Guru will become a proud proclamation that you are using your gift exactly the way in which He designed for YOU!

So...which one are you???

***************************************************************************

Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

What's Up the Street for Next Week?

Did you have the opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day this week? Remember, Valentines come in all different shapes, sizes, and moments....

(The above picture and the next two are of three of my former students. Lori and her hubby just celebrated their first Valentine's Day as husband and wife; And Nathan and his wife just celebrated the birth of their first child, Anna Grace, born yesterday; Ashley and her beau are pictured third with a scene of the Blue Ridge Mtns behind them)

 

In honor of those who have loved, do love, or love to dream of a Valentine, this is for you.

V – Voice – the one human who can speak words into your heart like no one else can

A - Adaptable– ability to graciously accept what he cannot change and fervently strive to change what he can, while forgiving and accepting forgiveness.

L-       Laughter- The gift to discover humor in the small things, hope in the big things, and certainty that joy comes in the morning.

E- Embrace – sharing a tender or passionate physical expression of an affectionate internal emotion

N – Nuture – the beauty of having someone believe in you more than you believe in yourself

T – Tough – A faithful heart in trial, constant thought in disbelief, and iron will to persevere for your honor



My oldest and youngest

I – Intelligent - Celebrating, enjoying, and exceling in his unique gifts and finding a way to share those talents through a career, a calling, or in service

N- Notice - His awareness of your specific uniqueness, even in the least things, and the ability to observe what makes you special, loveable...you.

E – Everlasting – An amazing opportunity to provide heavenly love in an earthly way from one breath to another.

Amy Simpson's sweet boys

Valentines can take all different shapes, sizes, and relationships. We're celebrating a few right here.

What's coming up the Street next week?

Monday - Get ready as Angie talks about two different writing styles. Which one are you?

Tuesday - Let's go to the Movies with Julia as she talks about Character Dreams and Goals

Karen's hubby and sweet daughter

Wednesday - Karen talks about Reading Outside Your Comfort Zone

Thursday - Join Ashley as she digs a little deeper to discover Fossils in Your Story

Friday - Don't go Overboard! Amy is going to write about Overwriting and Overdirecting.


Tell us about the Valentines in your life :0)

Don't forget the HEART of your story!

It's heart month!

I LOVE February!

I LOVE love!

I LOVE hearts!

My love of this month quadrupled upon the birth of my daughter, Annabelle, who was born with only half of her heart in 2010. In 2011, we spent heart month in the hospital, praying for a NEW heart. In 2012, it in the hospital ER with RSV and being diagnosed with failure to thrive. In 2013.... well, we spent it at home, eating WAY too much chocolate as a way to celebrate her FIRST Valentine's day at home!

Through the last few years, I've learned something pretty big in my writing.

And it's about hearts too. (and no, not just because I write romance!)

It's the the value of WRITING FROM THE HEART!

The heart is the seat of our emotions in our culture today. (Wasn't it the bowels in Bible days or something??? SO SO thankful we use the heart...)

So when we say, "write from the heart" it means that we are digging deep in our souls and splattering that on the pages. In order for us to evoke strong emotion in our readers, we need to pull from strong emotions as we write.

A tepid book is just not very fun to read.

That emotion will vary upon the author, upon the genre, and upon the plot.

The emotion can be fear, happiness, sadness, joy, passion, anger, anxiety, uncertainty, the list goes on and on.

A GOOD book will hit several of these emotions. YOU as an author should experience several of these while you write!

Writing, good writing, is a soul-seeking, bloody process. Even though I write funny romance, I still have to dig deep in me, in my experiences, and put my heart on the pages. Some of the reviews of my first novel reflect that... such as this endorsement from one of my FAVORITE authors.

"Don’t let the light-hearted cover and title fool you. Krista Phillips’ spunky, rough-around-the-edges heroine may be “tickle me” funny, but her faith journey offers more than a cute read. There is depth here, made all the more satisfying served up with a generous side of romance." - Tamara Leigh, author of Restless in Carolina and Dreamspell

Use your life experiences, the emotions and deep feelings you've had, when you write. You don't have to "write" your experiences, but you write to evoke emotions. That emotion will be vastly different depending on what genre you write and your voice. But it should still be there.

Annabelle's first valentine's day...
my blue baby decked out in her red!
(And yes, we DID bring her swing to the hospital ICU for her!

The last few years have been difficult, I'll admit. My family has gone through more than I'd ever wish on anyone. Congenital heart defects are awful, and they kill. (Did you know heart defects kill more children a year than all childhood cancers combined??) Seeing your child laying in a crib, their heart beating in an open chest, is life-changing.

My hope is that God can use the things I felt, the things I LEARNED, helps someone else when they read my books.

My books aren't about "heart" defects.

But they are definitely about the heart.

Discussion: What life experiences have you had that shape how you write? How do you show your emotions on the page?

(Note: this is a slightly adapted/updated repost~~ so if it seems familiar, that's why! But I thought it an important reminder and a great time of the year to post it!)

Top Five Reasons to Fall in Love With the Frasier

It's the week to spread the love! Today I'm swapping blog dates with Krista to chat with you about the My Book Therapy Frasier contest (which is currently open for entries). What is the best way I could think of to share with you why I love this contest so much?

A top five list of course! With a little help from my Alley Cats, here is my list of Top Five Reasons to Fall in Love with the Frasier...

1: The challenge. You have one scene. One POV. 1500 words (excluding synopsis). Yes, it's a small amount of word count and the one scene rule can be restricting, but what can you do with what you've got? Have you learned to include the story elements that will make your story stand out to the judges? If you have the MBT First Chapter Checklist, pour over it: this is what they are going to be looking for. Take the challenge. You can do it.

2: Depth. Your second reason to fall in love brought to you by Mary:  For me my depth of story increased significantly after participating in the Frasier. The feedback is great but it also leads to further investigation about the story question and how to craft the right words to draw the reader into a sensory experience.

3: Experience. Of all the contests I have entered, I would point the newbie contest goer to this contest first and foremost. The other contests I have entered can be more cut throat and geared more toward the "score". One of the things I have loved about the Frasier is that they are geared to teach. From the score sheets to the judges taking a bit more time to make comments on the document, it's all a good learning experience for the value of a contest.

4: Motivation. Sometimes we just need a little bit of a push. A push to either keep writing or change what we need to fix to get that much better. Even if we don't always agree with what the judges have to say, it's feedback. And feedback, is often gold. Yes, it's subjective, yes sometimes we don't understand why judges judge the way they do, but keep that feedback. Keep looking back over those comments and use them as fuel, even if you don't agree with them.

5: Final Round Judges. This is the reason all people enter all contests: the final round judges. And we always look to see who those people are, because knowing what we could end up with is either great motivation of incredibly nerve wracking. ;-) The year I finaled in the Frasier, Rachelle Gardner was a judge. I also happened to have a meeting with her at ACFW where we talked about my story, and I asked her some specific questions about it and she gave me suggestions I've used to change the course of my writing! This year, the final round Frasier judges are: Steve Laube, literary agent. Susan May Warren, best selling author and founder of MBT. And Shannon Marchese, editor for Waterbrook/Multnomah.

So there you have it faithful blog readers! FIVE reasons to fall in love with the Frasier contest on this Valentine's day! Ask any questions you might have in the comments, I'll be more than happy to share from my years of experience entering this contest (three years running now!)

*************************************************
Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in rural Eastern Oregon in a town more densely populated with cows than people.

Characters We Love

Happy Valentines!

Today on the Alley we couldn't help but talk about the characters we love and why we love them. These protagonists and heroes have inspired us to write the great characters in our books.



Curious who we're talking about?

Pull up a chair and join us. AND then in the comment section tell us your favorite character and why you chose that character.

Mary Vee says:
I chose Liam Neeson's character, Jean Valjean, from Les Meserables. After release from jail, Valjean reforms his life by learning how to read, becoming elected as a city official, owning a business. Despite Javert's intense desire to put the ex-convict back in jail, Valjean holds no ill feelings. He fights throughout the story to live the life God would have him do, forgiving others for what they do to him, and helping those in need. I prefer the ending of this version, the look on Valjean's face in the closing scene, when he knows he is free. A powerful character demonstrating forgiveness and choosing to do right even when it's difficult. 


Pepper Basham says: 
Okay, I'm going to be totally weird here and put Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings - because he's a compassionate, gentle, and courageous man who is insecure and has to find confidence to express the 'king' inside

Sherrinda Ketchersid says:

Okay . . . let's see. How about Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality! She loves her job, doesn't care about appearances, doesn't mind just being one of the guys and yet, she comes to truly care for those around her while undercover. While she might disdain their vanity at first, she comes to respect and love them in the end. And she is an ugly duckling who turns into a beautiful swan who gets the guy in teh end. (Always a great thing!)

Krista Phillips says:

Oh this one is EASY!!!!!

Kathleen Kelly played by Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail.  Oh my goodness, what is not to like! She has spunk and a bit of whit and loves books and is just a wee bit sneaky. I rooted for her even though she was "technically" online cheating on her current boyfriend, which is not something I'd normally root for.

Casey Herringshaw says,

Kate, from My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade!! She's spunky, sweet and a wee bit sassy. She's got that great mix of won't back down, but sweet heart/innocence. Ahh, love her!

Julia Reffner says, 

OK, I have lots of favorites but here's one: Peter Joshua (AKA Cary Grant) in Charade. The viewer LOVES him, wants to see him with Regina Lampert (AKA Audrey Hepburn), but we remain unsure of his motives until the bitter end. Great mystery, great chemistry between him and Audrey, and lots of funny lines.

Angie Dicken says:
I love Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Jane Grey. It's an old movie (Lady Jane). She is a true heroine in the movie because she finds a pure love with Guilford, and together they fight for their faith (eventually dying because of it). It's a beautiful picture of sacrifice and eternal focus. She quotes Plato in the movie, and it keeps her strong until the end:

"The soul takes flight into the world that is eternal, and there arriving she is sure of bliss and forever dwells in Paradise."

Chills! And I haven't seen that movie in years! Love!!!

Ashley Clark says, 
I KNEW Krista was going to take Kathleen Kelly! Girl, we are so on the same wavelength.:) 
Mary interrupting here, I wanted Kathleen Kelly too. Krista was quick on the draw

I'm going to go with Susan, Katharine Hepburn's character in Bringing up Baby. I like her because she's clever, witty, and hilarious. She follows her heart, and she's sassy. Also, another thing I think makes her a great character is that she defies our expectations. We know she's quirky, and yet she still continues to surprise us when she takes David's golf ball in the middle of his business game, steals a car from downtown, and cares for a leopard without the least bit of fear. She keeps us guessing--and more importantly, laughing--and never fails to sparkle.

Karen Schravemade says,

I'd have to go with Hadassah, from A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I love how her insecurities and fears make her so relatable - how she struggles with real life temptations - but her faith in God gives her a rock-solid strength she doesn't even realize she possess. All throughout the book, she sees herself as this timid mouse of a thing, and worries if she would have the courage to profess her faith in God if the outcome is death. In the end, God gives her the strength to stand strong, even when she's thrown to the lions. The character of Hadassah has stayed with me for years. 

Amy Leigh Simpson says,
Okay, so not fair! Karen took mine!! soul sister.
I'm gonna go with Meg Ryan's character, Kate, from French Kiss. She has a great balance of spunk and vulnerability. She fights for her heart, hangs on to her bravado even when torn and defeated. And even though she is stubborn, she knows when to surrender and dare to dream of something more.
Great flick!



So What stands out in the characters we love?

*compassionate, gentle, 
*and courageous man who is insecure and has to find confidence to express the 'king' inside
*an ugly duckling who turns into a beautiful swan who gets the guy
*spunk and a bit of wit and loves books 
*just a wee bit sneaky
*great mix of won't back down, but sweet heart/innocence
*spunky, sweet, and a wee bit sassy
*great mystery, great chemistry, funny lines
*a beautiful picture of sacrifice and eternal focus
*she fights for her faith even to the point of death
*clever, witty, hilarious, sassy
*defies our expectations
*her faith in God gives a rock solid strength
*insecurities that make her relatable
*balance of spunk and vulnerability
*fights for her heart
*hangs on to her bravado even when torn and defeated
*knows when to surrender
*dares to dream of something more


Notice the themes in the answers? 

*courageous, won't back down, sacrifice, fights, hangs on to her bravado, knows when to surrender, dares to dream  Readers want to identify with characters who are willing to fight, take on challenges that are bigger than life, and yes, sometimes the fight means sometimes possessing the strength to surrender.

*insecure, vulnerability  Readers want characters to show a human side. What is their weakness, how do they need help. One of the songs from Princess Diaries has this line: "I'm super girl and I've come to save the world, but I want to know, who's gonna save me?" This moment of vulnerability draws the readers compassions into the story.

*beautiful swan, sweat heart, great chemistry Readers, of course are drawn to stories with the sweet character, the couple with a great chemistry. Sometimes these characters melt our ugly, real circumstance into a cozy story and help us view our own circumstance differently. 

*spunk, sneaky  Readers root for the spunky/sneaky character. The one who shows spirit and is willing to fight back not just with strength, but with attitude.

*hilarious, funny lines What reader doesn't like a spice of humor?

*clever, witty Readers want the character to be be more than average. Think things through, quick on their feet, even if mistakes are made he/she gets back on their feet.

*faith, eternal focus Why do stories like Hadassah-A Voice in the Wind, Redeeming Love, Ben Hur, and other stories of faith hold such power? Even if the character dies in the end? Because the tremendous power of faith, the choice to hold fast to a conviction against any end. Readers become empowered with these works.

All right. You've heard our answers. Now, tell us yours. 

What character do you love? 

Name the book or movie the character is from and tell why you love the character.

******************

photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary Christian fiction with a focus on the homeless population and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

The Love of Writing Friends

Around this time two years ago, I was writing alone. Writing alone and timidly stepping into the blogging world by visiting Seekerville and the wild and crazy women there. That is where I met my friend Pepper Basham. She was also writing alone and not so timidly stalking the Seekerville gals.
(Pepper here: Yes, I'm a stalker...and I was LONELY)
Yes indeed, she was lonely. Or so she told me when she emailed me. I couldn't find her original email, but here is one of early emails from her....should I have been afraid?

A touch of insanity goes a long way---that's all I'll say.
Oh, it's so good to find a similar soul. Bless God.
Not that your insane, I'll let you make that admission on your own ;-)....Pepper

Hhhhmmm, a friend who thinks I'm insane. I love her!!!!!!!!!!! 

(Pepper here: The above statement is still very true. Kindred spirits are allowed to be as crazy as they like, you know)

I love how God puts two souls together who have similar backgrounds (we are both minister's wives) and who both love to write romance (well, Pepper loves to write in ALL genres....she is very well-rounded)

(Pepper here: I'm really not going to make a comment about how physically accurate that last statement is...sigh) Ahem, Pep, we won't go there, because I prefer to say that we are just well-rounded...it sounds much better.

Anyway, we began emailing in 2009 and in March of 2010 Pepper thought it be would fun to start a group blog. So we started recruiting people we had met through the writing blogosphere and found a great group of women to join us at what we called The Writer's Alley. We started out with five awesome ladies: Pepper Basham, Casey Herringshaw, Mary Vee,  Krista Phillips, and ME. 

(Pepper here: because we're so well-rounded -except Casey, who is skinny as a rail, a country rail.:-)

Now we are ten women who love God and LOVE to write. 

For almost three years now God has developed as sense of family in this group we call  The Writer's Alley. Though some have left, God has always provided a perfect fit with a new sister to our family. Not only do we benefit from the encouragement from each other, we have the opportunity to encourage others along the way. (This was all Pepper here. Dictator!) (Literally) :) 

We have had some great things to celebrate! Krista is now a published author with her book, Sandwich, With a Side of Romance. And five of our gals are now agented!  (See the side bar for the list!) We've gotten many contest finals and semi-finals, as well as numerous rejections, but I'm sure there will more to celebrate in the coming months and years. We've got some mad talent in this group of writers, and it all started with two scheming brainstorming blog buddies!

As we come up on our third year anniversary at The Writer's Alley, we would like to hear from you! What new topics would you like to see at The Alley? What old things have we done well? Let us know your thoughts! We want to keep providing great content for YOU!

***This post is brought to you by Sherrinda Ketchersid & Pepper Basham, written on the couch at Sherrinda's home in Fort Worth, Texas.