Are you making your list and checking it twice? No, I'm not talking about your Christmas list--I'm talking about your writer's wish list! And you can make one whether you're naughty or nice. *wink* As we reach the end of another year, I like to take inventory of the practical…
Scenes build stories. How you begin and end them can mean the difference between a reader finishing your novel or tossing it aside. When you're writing, it's fine to put down whatever comes to mind so your brain can push through and get the draft on paper. But when you're…
I was at the library last week--shocking, I know--and came across a delightful book in the new nonfiction section. Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer has an engaging, whimsical cover, and I had to pick it up. With stunning graphics, author essays, and entertaining chapter subheadings, Wonderbook was…
On Saturday I gave a presentation at the Researching the Romance academic conference (#BGSURomCon18) hosted by the Browne Pop Culture Library at Bowling Green State University, which happens to be the official repository for Romance Writers of America (RWA). It was an amazing conference. I learned so much from professors, university…
One thing I love about internal conflict is that a character recognizes she is emotionally protecting herself from something and thinks she knows why, but as the story progresses, she realizes the reason goes deeper. Until she's willing to be vulnerable and admit the emotional walls she's erected are stifling…
Last Thursday was a bad writing day. After lunch, I threw my hands in the air and suppressed a scream. I knew where the story needed to go, but I wasn't sure how to get there. I had several scenes to write before my next "sure" scene. Everything inside me…
Last weekend I was blessed to speak at Maumee Valley Romance Writers, Inc. Every January we have our annual goals discussion. The first half of my talk was about basic goal-setting: taking time to think about professional, health, emotional and personal goals for the year and deciding how and when…
I'm so pleased to have author Barbara M. Britton as my guest today! Barbara writes Christian fiction, and her new book Jerusalem Rising: Adah's Journey releases December 1! More information is below. :) How a Tech-Challenged Author Navigates a 21st Century Marketing World I’ll be honest. Technology scares me. I grew up…
You're nearing the end of a writing session, and you're in the zone. The words are hopping onto the page--it's as if they're writing themselves. Isn't that the best feeling? Zone writing is fast and delicious. But it often lacks layers, and these layers affect the pace. When I write…
I've read several great blog posts about writing lately. I'm not always great about reading blogs, but when I do, I'm amazed at the timely content. I figured you'd be interested in them, too, so I'm sharing them here! Amy Green, fiction publicist at Bethany House Publishers, was…