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By Suzanne Kuhn We all know it’s more difficult than ever to connect with our audiences since the COVID lockdown. Even now, as restrictions are removed, our live interactions are…

By Faith McDonald When I help students develop their writing, I scour their articles and stories for interesting ideas, and encourage, “Tell more here.” “I just can’t put it into…

By Sheila Qualls “Cute haircut . . .”  It sounded like a compliment until he added, “It’d look even better if you’d combed it.” Then he said, “I’m Oprah’s stylist,…

By Darlene Larson My girlfriend, Susan, had been a handpicked gift from God to me. We met at church and bonded in a women’s Bible study.  In our church parking…

By Chandee Ulch Words are powerful. They trigger memories and significant events. As parents, we often reminisce about our children in their toddler years and mimic the manner in which…

By Brenda Yoder When I first attended Speak Up, I also was starting graduate school for a new career in counseling. Up to that point, I had been a high…

By Blythe Daniel Do you remember when someone slipped you a note in class to check a box? Friend or not? If only we could contain our responses to a…

By Cheri Cowell One of the hottest new trends for authors is the audiobook. Audiobook sales have had an average of 24.5% per year increase since 2017, and for the…

By Jenn Hand Raise your hand if you like waiting.  If you do, I will turn this blog post over to you for your tips and tricks. Waiting in the…

By Kim Cordes Compass is my husband’s nickname.  When traveling, he almost always takes the scenic, tree-lined, long winding gravel roads.  His passengers are unfamiliar with the route or his…