You can find a hundred articles telling you what to read to improve your craft of writing. I certainly have my favorite books that helped me through the process of becoming a professional author. But that's not what I'm talking about now. Stephen King said, "If you want to be…
Legend has it, if you stand at the crossroads of your life, embrace the Desert Rose and ask for enlightenment, you will be shown your true path and the gifts waiting there for you.
Success and happiness are only a wish away.
But beware, wishes often require sacrifice.
What do newbie, unseasoned writers do that give away their inexperience? They overwrite. They use too many adjectives and adverbs. Their writing is inconsistent. They don't put the time they need into characterization and plotting. Things feel confusing. They depend too much on editors. While an editor can polish and…
Be aware of the length of #books in your #genre. Different genres have different expectations. #Pacing. A #suspense #thriller will have shorter scenes and sentences to speed up the pace. But a literary novel will slow it down. #Dialogue. Make it authentic. Use the character's voice, not yours. #Openings. Open…
5 Tools of #Anticipation We all know that Alfred #Hitchcock was the master of #suspense. He once said, "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." Anticipation provides a forward momentum for your story. The main elements of a good plot are curiosity (what will happen), tension (whether it will happen or not), hope (looking…
The new year is right around the corner. Are you ready? Do you have goals for the next 12 months? I'm not a big fan of resolutions, but there are times when we need to edit, make changes, update and evaluate our writing. What can you do in the next…
How many times have you thought you had a great idea for a story, only to have it fizzle out later? Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a simple process to test your story ideas, before you invested too much time and energy into them? As a journalist, I…
The MuseLetter Especially if you're participating in NaNoWriMo, you might need a little help in preparing your mind for creativity. It isn't something that automatically happens just because you sit down at the computer to write. Sometimes, it doesn't happen at all. Here's a few things that might help: SHOW…
So many events are coming up just in time for Christmas. If you need something now, head down to Rediscovered Bookstore in Boise, my book The Man In Number 7 is in stock. I left an autographed copy there just for you! Want to come out and meet some local…
Writing characters that are so real, your fans feel like they know them personally, is every writers goal. I've found some great little quotes that can help you along that path: "First, place an instance of self-talk very near your story's opening to immediately build characterization." ~ Nancy Kress "The…