Once again, I’m doing National Novel Writing Month – 50,000 Words in 30 Days! I’m entering this year as a NaNo-Rebel, writing anything BUT a novel. I have several anthologies […]
On Writing
Posts about the craft of writing
Home from the Writing Conference
Just got back from a weekend at Litchfield Beach. No, not that sort of weekend–this was the SC Writer’s Association’s annual writing conference. Friday through Sunday with a great line-up […]
What I’m Working On: Mail Order Brides?
So as a side hustle, I come up with plots for ghost writers for a romance publisher. We started out with Victorian plots, but lately Mail Order Bride stories have […]
Organizing Your Writing Life
I use two –ok three–pieces of software to keep my writing life organized. OK, I will admit that one of the three is Microsoft Word. I think nearly every writer […]
Pros & Cons of Writing Every Day
Many writers tell you to set aside some time every day to write, no matter how small a space you can carve out. But should you? Is it really necessary […]
Writing With a Day Job
Did you know that around 95% (maybe more) of writers support their writing habit with a day job? Here’s how you handle writing on top of a full-time job. It’s […]
Writing the Unreliable Narrator
I got this idea from reading the latest issue of Writer’s Digest, so fair warning! Jane K. Cleland says unreliable narrators have been around since before Arabian Nights was written. […]
Inspire Yourself
It happens to all of us once in a while: you just don’t feel the old muse inspiring you. But what–if anything–can you do about it? Here are some of […]
Showing vs Telling
I’m sure you’ve heard that you should “show” instead of “telling” in your writing. But what, exactly, does this mean and how do you do it? “He felt angry” is […]
What is Conflict in a Story?
I have a lot of trouble making sure I have enough conflict in my plots. I tend to like “caper” stories, where the characters proceed in a fairly orderly fashion […]