Writer Fuel: What to Look For in a Writing Community

Writer Fuel: What to Look For in a Writing Community

I was at a writing conference this past March (the Women in Publishing Summit, which was amazing!) and during one of the networking sessions one of the other writers mentioned they were writing a knitting cozy mystery. As an avid knitter myself, I immediately asked, “Do you knit?” From there, immediately my fellow writer/knitter and… Read more »

Writer Fuel: How to Get in the Writing Mood

Writer Fuel: How to Get in the Writing Mood

Sometimes we lose our writing mojo and, try as we might, we struggle with building momentum around our writing. No matter what we do, we can’t seem to get in a writing mood. This state of creative paralysis can happen for any number of reasons, including: In the last Writer Fuel, I talked about creative… Read more »

Writer Fuel: Navigating Through Creative Burnout

Writer Fuel: Navigating Through Creative Burnout

For the past several months, I have been going through a period of creative burnout. Maybe it’s the aftermath of COVID and how it has changed the way we learn and interact online. Or maybe it’s because some things in my non-writing life have just been really hard lately. Or maybe it’s the result of… Read more »

Writer Fuel: The Truth Behind “Show, Don’t Tell”

Writer Fuel: The Truth Behind “Show, Don’t Tell”

If you’ve ever taken a writing class, you’ve probably heard the adage “show, don’t tell.” But what does that even mean? What “show, don’t tell” really boils down to is a question of scene versus exposition. “Show” puts readers right in the middle of the action so they can see the scene unfold almost as… Read more »

Writer Fuel: Five Promises in the First Five Pages

Writer Fuel: Five Promises in the First Five Pages

Writing a book is like making a contract with our readers. We agree to craft a great story and our readers in turn agree to suspend their disbelief and keep turning pages. Furthermore, I believe that at the start of every book, we must make five promises to our readers. These promises are not hard-and-fast… Read more »

Writer Fuel: The Three “Rules” of Point of View

Writer Fuel: The Three “Rules” of Point of View

Point of view is one of the trickiest and most technical aspects of writing, but it’s also my favorite. There are so many choices and possibilities—it’s like being in the literary version of a candy store! At the same time, however, this variety of options can be overwhelming, making us feel like we’re being pulled… Read more »

Writer Fuel: Writing Insights from The Twilight Zone

Writer Fuel: Writing Insights from The Twilight Zone

You may not know this about me, but I am a die-hard Twilight Zone fan. The show represents some of the finest writing in television and I especially love that it’s kid-friendly so I can watch with the nerdlings. Sure, a couple of episodes might be duds, but what show doesn’t hit the occasional bump… Read more »

Writer Fuel: The Power of Writing Prompts

Writer Fuel: The Power of Writing Prompts

As a New Year’s resolution in January of 2007, I decided I was a writer and would start acting like one. No more excuses. I was going to stop complaining and saying that I’d start writing “someday.” I would glue my backside to the chair and start writing right now. The problem was, I had… Read more »