A sweltering classroom. A stupid essay assignment. A friend named Jesse who once won all the marbles—and later changed everything. As one teenager struggles to write about a person who made a difference, the assignment becomes something far more difficult than expected.

Canva will make you a graphic artist, too! First, let me tell you a few of secrets to become a graphic artist. Canva.com is free, so they did not pay me a dime to write this post. I am not a graphic artist. (Maybe you can tell that already.) Just so you know, I rarely got more than a C grade in art for anything except enthusiasm.

Before a special trip, consider taking a photography class or scheduling a private session with a photographer. A little instruction before you leave can help you come home with better pictures. Years ago, I took a one-on-one lesson from my blogging friend and professional photographer Leanne Cole. I paid a surprisingly small amount for her advice, and we worked together on one of my photographs.

A weekend in California’s Gold Country brought winding mountain roads, historic Murphys, vintage cars at the Ironstone Concours d’Elegance, and an unexpected conversation with a photographer who turns his wildlife photos into coloring books. Come along for the ride—and see what inspired a little coloring-book experiment of my own.

by D. Scott Carruthers Do You Love Taking Pictures? Becoming a travel photographer is one of the most exciting career paths any budding photographer can take. As commercial flights get cheaper and traveling is more emphasized as a hobby rather than a luxury, more photographers find themselves wanting to pursue their passion for images and explore unknown parts of the world.

Dan Antion’s Museum Murders sends reporter Rascal Todd into a mystery involving a historic Pittsburgh museum, long-hidden secrets, missing money, and murder. Pour yourself a cuppa and join me for my review of this page-turning mystery.

Cindy Georgakas and Gigi Cartwright join us for Poetry Day with two powerful poems about vulnerability, grace, and the fragile threads that hold us together. Read Tapestry of Faith and Living Ghosts, then join the conversation about the images, rhythms, and human experiences behind the poems.

Step inside Old Swedes Church in Delaware, built in 1698, and explore its stone walls, stained glass, old graffiti, historic cemetery, and stories of colonial life.

What happens when 23 authors explore where creativity comes from and how ideas become something more? Over a Cuppa, I’m celebrating the launch of This Is How We Create, sharing my review, and telling how forty-two cookies helped me rediscover my own creativity.

Point of view is more than choosing first or third person. Author Diana Peach explains POV, voice, head-hopping, and the mistakes that can pull readers out of a story—with clear examples to help writers keep readers immersed.

What Would You Do with an Email about a Possible Nonfiction Book Contract? Who knows why I didn't delete Ginny's email on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. She asked me if I wanted a nonfiction book contract to write a book about Woodlake, CA. It sounded like a spam email. Did I want to write a nonfiction book? Everyone Has Advice for New Bloggers - Even Publishers…

Start Blogging With a Page or a Post? Updated September 2026 Congratulations, you've decided to start blogging. You have read blogs for years. Incognito, right? Now it's your turn to blog. You have your account. Now what? Unlike any other form of communication, blogs connect writers and readers. Blogging is reciprocal. You have to take the first step. So fill up that blank screen.

Irish Author Fiona Hogan Celebrates Her First Book We will learn today what Irish author Fiona went through to write and publish her book, The Lights Went Out and Other Stories. Marsha Ingrao: Today I'd like to introduce Fiona Hogan, an Irish author, one of my new blogging friends from the Intentional Blogging Course I'm taking. Fiona suffers from social media craziness and is a member of more than twenty author, blogging, tweeting, and general writing groups, not to mention the writers’ pages I have liked.  

We didn't have to wait until Friday.  Tonia Hurst, a California gal, picked up on this little tendril right away.  Congratulations Tonia!!!  Gold Star Tonia Hurst!! a dried up grape tendril Now, since you have been such good guessers, I have a couple of blogging questions to ask you.  I am writing an article about blogging for What's Happening in the Foothills…

Editorial Note 2026: This post has been lightly updated but deliberately retains references to Twitter, Google+, and an early blogging project for Woodlake Botanical Gardens. I'm preserving it as a snapshot of how bloggers used blogs and social media to promote causes, build communities, and wrestle with the idea of “selling” online. Innocent Accusations Open Your Eyes to the Truth!

A glowing five-star review gives me something wonderful to celebrate Over a Cuppa, while navigating California’s maze of health insurance and identification gives me plenty to gripe about. Somewhere between gratitude and frustration, a little poetry—and a dose of my own advice—helps me adjust my attitude and move on.

Updated September 2026: Technology has changed considerably since I wrote this post in 2020, so I wouldn't recommend following these instructions today. But the experience taught me something that hasn't changed: sometimes the best way to learn new technology is simply to start. After I did a short interview with a social studies expert for a professional organization for teachers, I decided I wanted to create a simple podcast.

A quiet few weeks? Maybe—but creativity is blooming. Join me Over a Cuppa for book-launch excitement, a little poetry, Queen Moji’s bath-day escape attempt, and late-summer sunflowers.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The most beautiful woman in the world moved through the crowds as if she didn’t belong to them—and perhaps she didn’t. What begins as admiration slowly shifts into something more unsettling in this intriguing Story Chat selection by Hugh W. Roberts, where perception, desire, and reality quietly blur.

Wishing you a restful Labor Day remembering all those who work hard all year long.

Editorial Note 2026 In 2016, I opened a WordPress.org website to focus more on writing and less on personal issues. I found that keeping up with the technology took more time and expertise than I had, so I eventually closed the site. I migrated the posts to my original site. I'm updating them so they retain their value. Two years into blogging, my stats nose-dived.

Technology frustrates me. I knew when it took 5 hours to write and upload a post with 11 pictures that I was in trouble. So we called Wild Blue, our internet company. After a fifteen-minute wait, and an obnoxious technical assistant putting us through a 30-45 minute pretense of tests to get our computer to respond more quickly when you turn it on, the irritating one from Michigan said, “Your records show that you have used up all of your download allowance for the month.”

Writing craft isn't a collection of rules—it's a set of skills we strengthen through practice, feedback, and conversation. This month, Story Chat readers challenged the advice, defended writers' voices, and reminded me why these workshops exist.

Want a Book That Boys Want to Read? Attention Parents and Teachers! Boys struggle to read fiction, believe it or not. Give them a book about animals, cars, boats, anything non-fiction and they devour it. But not fiction. So now schools focus on non-fiction. But fiction develops values and emotions. Boys need that as much as girls. So give you boys this book.

Flowers, beaches, poetry, and a walk through Laguna Beach lead to an unexpected trip into the past—and a remembrance of a remarkable woman whose words changed my life.

Why I love Cee's Oddball Challenge Since there's no theme but odd, it's easy to write and schedule this challenge. Cee made all her challenges easy because she announced the themes weeks in advance. This one is easy to find pictures for. Yesterday I went through about a third of my pictures and pulled out 40 that I thought would work. 

A writer’s look at Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent—from planting early clues and believable lies to powerful descriptions and seemingly minor details that become important hundreds of pages later.

Eleven years after giving Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel five stars, I revisited his advice on plot, character, stakes, and more—and discovered a lesson I missed the first time: learning the tools of writing craft doesn’t mean using them all at once.

Use Email Lists to Promote Your Projects? That's random, use email lists. Why? Kirsten Oliphant offered a free course in why and how to use them. I signed up. Here are a few facts about people who use email lists. In 2014 Venture Beat predicted that seventy-five percent of enterprises will be investing in personalized messaging in 2015. Campaign Monitor…

Hey, Blogger! Do you get frustrated when you're learning new blogging skills? You think it's because you don't know anything, but think again. Maybe the instructions are as clear as mud. Learn what you can do instead of getting frustrated. Editor's Note This post was revised in 2026. AI has changed how we receive and learn new information. Don't get me wrong.

What makes dialogue dazzle instead of drag? James Scott Bell packs 134 pages with practical advice on character agendas, conflict, subtext, silence, and more. Some of his advice made me say, “Ouch!”

Creative fire meets summer heat on Poetry Day. Robbie Cheadle explores the irresistible energy of artistic creation, while Selma Martin takes on an unwelcome July in a Dickinson-inspired poem filled with heat, humor, and longing for fall.

Montezuma Well National Monument Do you love beautiful, easy trails, history, and stunning views? Then Montezuma Well near Sedona, AZ is a must-see national monument. Montezuma Well National Monument Open Holidays We did not expect National Monuments to open on a holiday. We were wrong. National Parks here are only closed on Christmas Day. There are three National Monuments to visit all within about 30 minutes of Sedona.

How should your story end? This month's Story Chat Craft Workshop explores techniques for writing satisfying endings before inviting you to create your own. Three unfinished stories challenge you to write both expected and unexpected conclusions that leave readers wanting more.

Trepidatious steps come in all shapes and sizes—from a new hip and a flower-photo hunt to our first vacation of the year. Join me Over a Cuppa for poetry, Laguna Beach adventures, small delights, and a peek at Friday’s Story Chat Workshop.

A magpie, a missing five-pound note, and a shelter deep in the forest lead two brothers somewhere they never expected to go. But the animals have been watching—and they haven't forgotten.

Every sentence should earn its place. Discover how purposeful dialogue, meaningful description, and carefully chosen details work together to reveal character, build setting, and move your story forward—one sentence at a time.

Over a Cuppa is a weekly post on Always Write that offers a welcoming space for reflection, creativity, and conversation. Each week, I share poems, photographs, flash fiction, book reviews, philosophy, personal stories, and reflections on my Word of the Year—inviting readers to pause, reflect, and share their own stories. I created the Featured Image with AI assistance from ChatGPT and Canva, using one of my photographs.

Do you need a book list of great books for writers? Hi, Annabelle Author, I'm overwhelmed. I'm looking for a book list of GREAT books to improve my writing. Hey, Irma Indie, what books have you seen so far? Annabelle, I went to Amazon.com. I found 15,122 results about how to improve my writing. Jeez, that helps! That’s what I thought.

As I continue to try to find my voice as a blogger, I find myself drawn into the role of book reviewer. As I continue on this pathway, a next step that I notice among other blogger reviewers is the INTERVIEW. Since I am a blogger friend with JT Weaver, who authored Uphill Both Ways, he's my interview guinea pig.  Thanks, JT  🙂

Three writers took our opening-lines challenge—and gave us menace, mystery, and an impossible situation. Which opening made you ask the biggest question?

The Evolution of Story Chat Story Chat started with a discussion for a guest post from Hugh W. Roberts. He asked if it would be okay to write a short story, and I agreed. We chatted about doing a follow-up and creating a virtual discussion about the story from the comments. Story Chat is about giving to others. The stories don't belong to me.

Sometimes the people we remember most aren't heroes or villains—they're the wonderfully complicated souls who wander unexpectedly through our lives. This week's Story Chat follows one unforgettable bus ride, an elderly man named Casa Wasa Beaver, and a young boy whose small act of kindness becomes something far greater than either of them imagined. Join us as we explore Nigel Byng's warm, humorous, and deeply human story, "The Man with the Coco Benz."

Over a Cuppa is a weekly post on Always Write that offers a welcoming space for reflection, creativity, and conversation. Each week, I share poems, photographs, flash fiction, book reviews, philosophy, personal stories, and reflections on my Word of the Year—inviting readers to pause, reflect, and share their own stories. I created the Featured Image with AI assistance from ChatGPT and Canva, using one of my photographs.

Whether you're writing your very first short story or polishing your fiftieth, strong storytelling begins with a few timeless principles. Discover practical tips for creating memorable characters, building tension, finding story ideas, and writing fiction that invites readers into the conversation.

As another hot July draws to a close, I'm counting blessings, sharing a few favorite photographs, recommending a novel that stayed with me long after I finished it, and inviting you to try your hand at Story Chat's latest writing workshop. Pour your favorite cuppa and join the conversation.

How should your story end? This month's Story Chat Craft Workshop explores techniques for writing satisfying endings before inviting you to create your own. Three unfinished stories challenge you to write both expected and unexpected conclusions that leave readers wanting more.

Do dreams come in Technicolor? This week, I'm sharing a tanka inspired by some unforgettable post-surgery dreams, a garden overflowing with purple blooms for this week's photo challenges, a moving review of Smitha Vishwanath's The Inheritance of Solitude, a small mystery involving blog comments, and a happy update on my hip replacement recovery. Pour yourself a cuppa and join me.

This month's Poetry Day explores two very different ways of seeing the world. Dawn Pisturino uses the color purple to express memory, grief, and enduring emotion, while Selma Martin finds unexpected joy and inspiration in an inexpensive print hanging in an ordinary kitchen. Together, these poems remind us that beauty can emerge from both heartache and everyday life.

Orange poppies brighten this week's Over a Cuppa alongside a new poem, book news, writing community updates, and a balanced look at AI glasses, their benefits, and important privacy concerns.