(NOTE: Due to this week’s DIY MFA post, the weekly blog post will go live on Thursday, December 15th.)

Do you believe in destiny, or a higher power conspiring to help make things happen? Or are you convinced that our lives are what they are because of our choices? Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether fate or free will plays the greater role. This mystery, however, hasn’t prevented writers from exploring it through story.

Today I’m tackling “fate versus free will” for my Theme: A Story’s Soul column at DIY MFA. Using Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus as examples, we’ll discover the common elements that both books use to examine this enigmatic theme and brainstorm ideas of how we can write our own stories on an age-old debate. (See the link after the jump.)

Click here to read “Fate Versus Free Will: A Case Study on Literary Themes.”

Last Week’s #5onFri Post on Writers Who Made an Impact at DIY MFA in 2016

For last week’s #5onFri post, DIY MFA web editor Bess Cozby surprised our staff by highlighting the five bi-monthly columnists contributors and their most impactful posts of 2016. I’m honored that she included me and Theme: A Story’s Soul in this post, and I’m thrilled to be part of such a talented and passionate group of writers. If you haven’t checked out of the other highlighted DIY MFAers’ columns yet, I strongly suggest that you do.

Click here to read “#5onFri: 5 Writers Who Made an Impact at DIY MFA (and Their Posts).”

My Facebook Page is Active Again

After an extended hiatus, I’ve finally “returned” to my author page on Facebook. It’s another spot where you can catch new blog posts, newsworthy bits, and other articles or links I recommend from the writing and reading blogosphere. Plus, if you’ve enjoyed my #WesleyWednesday Tweets on Twitter, you might be seeing them on Facebook in the near future. 😉

Want to follow me on Facebook? Click here to visit my page and “like” it.

GoFundMe Update: Trip to the Iceland Writers Retreat Is 10% Funded

Last Tuesday I launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a trip to the 2017 Iceland Writers Retreat. Thanks to early donations, the campaign has already raised $370 – just over 10% funded! This is exciting and encouraging, since any contributions will help make this trip more affordable.

If you’d like to donate, the campaign is running through February 4, 2017. So there’s plenty of time as well as plenty of perks for anyone interested in loose-leaf tea, 1st chapter critiques, writing coach sessions, and so on. I also have some fun ideas for future campaign updates like videos and Iceland trivia.

Click here to visit the GoFundMe page to learn more. And if you do donate – many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart. ❤