Joshua 
Kelsea Ballerini, at 31 years old, has built an impressive net worth of $6 million as of 2025. As a country music star, she has achieved significant success with multiple chart-topping hits, major collaborations, and a dedicated fanbase. With a career spanning over a decade, Ballerini continues to solidify her place in the music industry, … Read more
Diana Ross, a legendary singer, actress, and cultural icon, boasts a net worth of $250 million at the age of 80. Rising to fame as the lead vocalist of The Supremes, she transitioned into an illustrious solo career that spanned multiple decades. Her impact on the music industry is unparalleled, having sold over 100 million … Read more
If you’re a Pantser, life—and writing—is one wild ride. And you wouldn’t have it any other way. Flying by the seat of your pants takes guts. The term comes from the days when flight was brand-new, when barnstormers piloted those old single-engine planes without using any instruments, performing heart-stopping tricks and stunts in the air. … Read more
Wrote a new short story! Just for fun, I sidetracked a little this month and explored a new idea. This was one of those things that you have to try, just to see if it works. So I banged out a nearly 8,000-word story by the seat of my pants (never done that before!) polished it, … Read more
I’m starting to sound like a James Riley groupie. I feel like I’ve mentioned his name in almost every book review so far! But there’s no denying his middle-grade novel Story Thieves is another fun read, especially if you were raised on fantasy/adventure novels. That said … it’s not perfect. If you’ve already read Half … Read more
There is a stretch of chapters in every novel that is affectionately nicknamed the “Murky Middle.” The Murky Middle is so named because, as an author, you’re wading through a proverbial slough with no end in sight, slushing your legs through knee-deep slime and mud. This is the part of your story where you forget … Read more
I’ve been so busy writing that I’ve forgotten to take the time to just observe life. I’ve neglected taking walks to soak up my surroundings. Watch people. Find new places. Listen to conversation. Time to change that. The Secret Cause of Burnout I think a hidden, sneaky cause of creative burnout is a lack of … Read more
It’s personal confession time. What changed me from a hardcore pessimist to a sold-out optimist? Sometime in my childhood, I figured out a fantastic way to avoid disappointment. After fighting back the tears of another letdown—maybe a fun trip that was cancelled, or a promised activity that never happened—I decided I wouldn’t let disappointment hurt … Read more
Never finish what you start? You need to do this. I used to turn every idea into a novel. The moment I bumped into a stimulating story seed, I’d start writing page after page, burning off pure inspiration. But the inspiration would run out. And with it, the ideas. I’ve started a lot of novels. … Read more
In the second installment in this blog series , we’re going to look at another secret that is under-used in all but the best prose: the use of similes and metaphors. They create dynamic word pictures, imaginative storyscapes, and draw the reader into the story. Before we start, a quick grammar lesson: A simile is … Read more