By Trudy Prins Behind the ordinary faces of people, there sometimes lies the most fascinating stories. As with any buried treasure, digging them out requires time and patience, but they…
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On God and godawful writing
By Terry Carroll On Saturday May 17, 2025 at St. Thomas Public Library, former St. Thomas Times-Journal reporter (turned adjunct prof at Redeemer University) Thomas Froese said something foolish to…
The Poet’s Guide to Word-Watching
by Julie Berry (for Poetry Month) When an unfamiliar word flies up and startles you, look for identifying features, try to glimpse its secondaries, comprehend its bone structure, its under-tail…
Opening Lines
By Elgin Writers Guild Vice President, James John Miller The opening lines of a story have the power to spellbind the reader, or turn themoff altogether. Editors in publishing houses…
4 Ways to Make the Most of a Critique Group
JANE FRIEDMAN – JUN 6, 2011 “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” (Aristotle) “I was confused by your…
Crafting Fabulous Fiction: How to Get – and Take – Criticism
by Victoria Grossack, 2013 One of the best ways to improve your writing in general and your work in particular is to apply the criticism of others. But where do…
Tips for an Effective Creative Writing Critique
By Ginny Wiehardt Updated on 11/20/19 We all know the experience of getting an unhelpful critique, of feeling shut down and discouraged rather than pumped up to revise. What exactly gives…