The pandemic has changed the way we do just about everything, including the way we write. That might not come as much of a surprise to you if you are a writer, but it’s still an interesting fact. Physically, there isn’t much of a difference between the way people write…

Through collaboration with the CDC and other health institutions, local, state, and federal government task forces can mitigate the severity of pandemics. In the case of COVID-19, the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative funds health systems on a state-to-state and city-to-city basis. Despite the efficiencies that emerge from this…

The typical short story has fewer than 8000 words. Every decision you make as a writer holds extra weight when working with such limited space. One of the most basic storytelling choices — which POV to use — is also one of the most impactful. What Is POV? The point…

This article was originally published to DaveKellyAuthor.com. Mastering tone is all about understanding your audience. When a writer develops a deeper understanding of this audience — their motivations, interests, and ideals — then effective communication becomes more natural. Specific lines in novels and stories can hold significant meaning for readers…

Rough drafts are meant to be just that — rough. No one has produced a masterpiece on the first go. Beloved staples of the literary canon have undergone countless iterations, subjected to scrutiny and fine-tuning that some might see as insanity. One example of this dedication to perfection is seen…

This article also appears on DaveKellyTech.com. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that almost $1.4 billion in COVID-19 stimulus checks were sent to deceased individuals. The fraud amounted to over one million erroneous payments. The data required to avert this loss of tax-payer money was readily…

The key to a compelling incident response tabletop exercise involves modeling likely scenarios and demonstrating probable outcomes resulting from decisions made by the participants. Whether it be a cyberattack, a natural disaster, civil unrest, or all of the above simultaneously, government leaders need a platform with which to test their…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established its National Incident Management System (NIMS) in 2004. A response to one of President George W. Bush’s Homeland Security Presidential Directives, NIMS sets guidelines for public and private sector collaboration in preventing, mitigating, and responding to domestic incidents. Because NIMS “applies to all…