One new member is making the switch from non-fiction to fiction, while another holds a PhD in history.

Another shares her home with two bunnies and a poodle.

One works in Colorado as a GIS Specialist and Archaeologist, while another indulges in porcupine quill embroidery and wood carving.

Another, with his family, lived in Barcelona for five years, and yet another teaches martial arts.

We are in the midst of a growing and highly diverse group of creative and marvelous people. At our fingertips we have the knowledge and experiences of all these folks–and of “old-time” members, as well.  That makes us some of the luckiest writers in the world.

If you’d like to see who’s joined and what unique backgrounds they bring with them, take a look here. I’ll warn you in advance, though–it’s addictive.

And for those of you included in this influx of fresh talent, welcome! We’re pleased as punch to meet you.

The novel can take a year or more to go from idea to publication. In that year, dreams get dusty, bills come due, faster writers zip past on their way to success. Families bang on the door of the writer’s office, wondering when the heck that darn book will be finished.

Holly has you covered. (Did you ever doubt that?) How about putting together an anthology that meets the criteria for the big e-sellers? You can be on their virtual shelves in weeks rather than months or years.

Did you sign up for HOW TO Write Flash Fiction That Doesn’t Suck? Are you participating in the Flash Fiction Forum? Sign in and go here to introduce your characters and to admire the characters your classmates have brought to the wizard’s prom/aerial dogfight/dragonslayer world series.

No slide rules required, but you need to divide scene length into novel length to figure out how many scenes your book needs. Breathe. You can do this.

What if you haven’t written any books yet? How do you know how long your scenes will be before you’ve written even one?

Good questions, and Holly has the answers. HTTS members, log in and go here to join the conversation. Wear boots.

Oh, boy.

Of course, the stories were not so bad. And no one here should rethink the idea of being a writer. No one is about to quit, really, truly. Honestly. Not because of one rejection. What about other issues that undermine us? Like this.

Even Holly Lisle has scary moments.

How do you handle those times when some evil interloper whispers bleak, horrible, self-doubt-inducing words into your ear?

One thing you can do is to post a link to your story that didn’t make it into the anthology. It’s an act of defiance. You’ll enjoy it. Then visit the links for other rejected stories. It’s an act of community. You’ll love it.

And for those in the US–comb your hair, tuck in your shirt, and go visit your mom. Today is Mother’s Day.

Feedback tells us that this was seen by our members as a great opportunity to learn, and possibly to be published. If you’d like to see some of the comments we’ve been getting, take a look here.

We hope that all those who entered will be able to find something helpful in the comments. The judges mostly wanted members to experience the anthology, whether they won a place in it or not. It’s part of the process Holly teaches–write, revise, submit, hold your breath, scream in elation or frown in concentration as you look for what went wrong.

Bear in mind that all judges do not think alike, either. You’ll see a comment where two judges found problems and a third judge considered the submission perfect. This is normal, in any writing competition. I’ve judged a number of contests for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. PPWC uses many judges because there will be disagreements among knowledgeable people about the problems, or lack thereof, in any given entry.

A special shout-out has to go to Katharina Gerlach (or Cat-Gerlach, as we see her on Holly’s boards). She has ramrodded this entire experience admirably, coordinated everything with professionalism and aplomb, and made it an easy process for both members and judges.

Congratulations to all of you! Congrats to the winners, of course, but also to everyone who found enough courage to enter. If you’ve never entered or submitted anything before, in particular, this is a HUGE step! And it’s one I hope you’ll practice over and over, until it no longer feels fearsome or uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, sometimes offers come with stings attached. What should a new author do when an editor, agent, or publisher wants to change key elements of a story? What if the book is part of a series and the changes would break the series? Where should the writer draw the line on changes to their vision?

One member was facing just such a dilemma. All members are invited to log in to the forums and follow the discussion.

So, how do you approach each new lesson?

How to Think Sideways members, go here and join in!

Disabling that inner editor–while you’re writing, not while you’re chatting with Aunt Tillie–is part of overcoming Safe and Perfect. Got that?

But the topic of profanity caught the attention of many of the members, which makes for an interesting discussion. How to Think Sideways members, log in and go here to read and join this discussion.

We like helping each other on Holly’s boards. It’s a way to clarify our own thinking as well as help our fellow writers. A lot of people on this site know a little (or a LOT) about many different things, and they’re usually willing to share what they know. Holly calls this process “hiring spies” (Lesson 15 in HTTS, I believe).

We’re a great resource for others, on the topics we know something about, so when one of our members had questions about military time, the proper course of action was to ask on the forum. Here’s the discussion.

So how do we find the time to do this thing called writing? How do we coax our Muse out of hiding when we have so many other things demanding our time and attention?

The reality is, it’s hard. But it absolutely can be done. How To Think Sideways students are invited to log in and join the discussion. Your Muse may thank you for it later.