Trouble Brewing — Signpost Scene #4

Welcome back, readers! I hope that my last article on The Argument Against Transformation helped clear up any questions you had on theme and your Lead’s need for transformation. Now, as we move forward with act one, we approach a crucial signpost scene that, though quick, makes a big difference escalating tension and exciting readers,… Read more »

Episode 205: The Epic BookExpo Recap — 2018 Edition

Hey there word nerds! Welcome to the 2018 Epic BookExpo Recap episode! If you don’t already know what BookExpo is, it’s the big industry trade show that takes place in the United States every year, and today it’s going to be just me talking to you about this awesome event! This year, the big thing… Read more »

Ask The Editor: Travelling Between Worlds

I’m working on a short story in which the main characters travel a great distance in a short amount of time. They also experience a variety of different landscapes. My aim is to quickly acclimate the reader to each new place through the narrator’s perspective using sensory details. So my question is this: besides “show,… Read more »

Six Key Elements to Author Website Branding

In the digital age, an author’s website is among your most important assets. After all, it’s your home base online and your only truly owned corner of the Internet. This is where readers will turn to discover you, connect, and learn about your writing. Thus, it is important that your website establishes a recognizable look… Read more »

Solving the Riddle of Voice

We writers are always urged to find our voice in writing. Develop our voice. Be true to our voice. But in the middle of all of that furor over voice, what voice is often gets lost. As readers, we have favorite authors. We form fierce attachments to their work. Each new novel, collection of short… Read more »

How Secure Are You In Your Writing Identity?

Earlier this month, I was invited to be part of a career fair at the school where I teach. The fair administrators wanted me to talk to the third, fourth and fifth grade students about balancing writing with my teaching job, how I’ve been published, and why the students should consider a writing career for… Read more »