National Novel Writing Month Starts Today
Struggling with writer's block? Want to finish a novel? Then you’re in good company! Thousands of writers around the world are gearing up to write 1 whole bonafide novel over the next 30 days as they participate in National Novel Writing…
Writer’s Relief: Help for Aspiring Authors
“Is there some deep, dark secret to getting published? Why won’t an editor buy my book?”
As a book writing coach and multi-published author, I’m asked that question a lot.
Believe me, I can empathize with the pain of aspiring…
Write a Memoir with Feeling to Make it Memorable
Whether you are planning to write your personal story as a memoir, or to write a commercial novel based upon your life’s experience, you must find ways to connect with the emotions of your reader if you want your story to be remembered.
New…
Fiction Training: Not All Writing Advice is Created Equal
When fiction writers are starting their careers, they need training. They don’t know how to discern between writing advice that advances their publication goals, and writing advice that is useless – or even detrimental.
In their eagerness…
How to Name a Character in Genre Fiction Novels
Writing heroes (or protagonists) is one of the first challenges that writers have to tackle when developing genre fiction novels. Since I’m re-inventing several of my protagonists for my YA Fantasy series, Guardians of Aeld, I thought…
Crime Fiction: How Mystery Writers Pen a Chilling Read (Pt 3)
(Part 3 in the 3-part series, Crime Fiction: How Mystery Writers Pen a Chilling Read)
While Mystery writers are the undisputed masters of the literary device known as suspense, writers of other popular fiction genres (Romance, Fantasy,…
Crime Fiction: How Mystery Writers Pen a Chilling Read (Pt 2)
(Part 2 in the 3-part series, Crime Fiction: How Mystery Writers Pen a Chilling Read)
Even if you aren’t writing Crime Fiction, you can learn how to write an edge-of-your-seat read by studying how Mystery writers incorporate suspense…
Crime Fiction: How Mystery Writers Pen a Chilling Read (Pt 1)
Crime fiction is wildly popular. Writing novels with spine-tingling action requires Mystery writers to study the literary device known as suspense.
Even if you aren't writing novels for the Crime Fiction market, your Romance, Fantasy,…
Deadline Stress for Fiction Writers: 10 Coping Tips
Deadline stress can lead to writer's block, paralyzing fiction writers -- and I'm not just speaking figuratively.
Who would've thought that writing novels could be so hazardous to your health? I'm just one of many fiction writers who has…
Novel Writing Doesn’t Get Easier After You’re Published
"That's it," my novel writing student said. (We'll call her Katie.) "I quit. No more red herrings. No more convoluted plot twists. Cozies are too hard to write. I'm going to write a Romantic Suspense."
Uh-oh, I thought. Katie was struggling…