National Novel Writing Month. It happens every November. Are you in or out? I am not officially doing it this year due to this, one time only never to be repeated(I hope), math class! But I am going to keep … Read More
I make plans. I decide to be committed to my writing and my dreams and my health and then the first thing that comes along to demand my time fractures my attention to detail. I am a mom and a … Read More
Creating conflict in fiction, author Karen Shepard puts it so clearly, “Conflict is all about equally formidable forces trying to occupy the same space.” I love it when someone puts a concept in a nutshell. This is all it is … Read More
The mailing list is a vital part of the business of the indie author. Some indie authors mail a lot. I don’t. My goal has been to help people with their writing. My exercises are usually not about beginning … Read More
I am learning how to write my way back in to my book after years away. I gave 5 really good tips how to do that see this post. I find myself closing in on the first read … Read More
Don’t we all have that negative guy in our head that tells us what we are writing is stupid, useless, or crap? I have my days with the demon. I don’t have a magic bullet for killing him off instantly. … Read More
Picture a young woman in acting class. Her days are spent creating people from a page of writing by an author she has never met. Somehow she has to breathe life into this character and feel their feelings and justify … Read More
It’s the perfect time of year to freshen up your characters and spring your book forward! My favorite part of the writing process, and the part I am particularly talented at, is the creation of intriguing, unforgettable, deep characters. Characters … Read More
Over years of walking by my dad’s side, I learned a great deal about research and serendipity. Sometimes when you are searching for something, it just appears before you with almost no effort. Sometimes just when you think there is … Read More
Driving force: WANT? What is your character’s desire that drives him forward. In simple terms, what does he want? (I use he or she interchangeably, so excuse whichever one I use that doesn’t pertain to you and your story.) Back … Read More