The notion that we had an undiscovered perspective filled us with indescribable joy. For so long we’d lived with only three. Admittedly, our beloved 2nd Person had been chased away by middle school teachers and college composition courses, but we consoled ourselves with 1st and 3rd, made the most of them, and enjoyed our perspective… Read more »
I listen to birdsong first thing in the morning while the coffee is brewing. Stepping out on the front porch to listen, I laugh out loud at the insistent squeak of the pileated woodpecker as he makes his loopy flight to the palm tree. I smile at the cheerful songs of the curve-billed thrasher and… Read more »
Do you create a character or does a character create themselves? Thirteen years ago, I was walking over the Norfolk marshes with my husband, an archaeologist. He remarked that prehistoric people had seen marshland as sacred: because it’s neither land nor sea, but something in-between, they saw it as a link to the afterlife. As… Read more »
A writers conference is a magical, wonderful event. Writers conferences put you in contact with authors, agents, publishers, editors, and, of course, other writers like you. Then there are all of the classes and panels to teach you new skills or help you hone the ones you have. Even these days, where most conferences are… Read more »
They say, “write what you know.” But I’ve written a few books, and mostly that wasn’t the case. At all. Even after the release of Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports, I still have never gone wingsuit flying. I haven’t surfed, or climbed Mount Everest, or been in a dogsled race. I have… Read more »
[Hello Readers! If you missed the first article of this three-part series, check it out right here. Parts I and II of this article deals with ideas for writing plot twists. Part III will take you through the mechanics, the nuts and bolts of making it happen.] Let’s do the Romance Twist: Seduction for Hire … Read more »
From big picture elements to sentence-level style, editing is a natural and necessary part of writing. It can also be terribly intimidating. While there are plenty more aspects to review, here are eight essential things you should be editing for in your own work. Be sure to take care of these essential edits before sending… Read more »
Imagine this. You have an idea for a story but for some reason, you’re having trouble getting started. Days, even weeks go by and you stare at that dreaded white page as if the words are going to magically appear. Whether it’s writer’s block, sheer procrastination, or a mix of both, you’ve let enough time… Read more »
Most often, the questions that I get from readers and writers are about my process of writing historical fiction. Why did I choose the time periods that I did for the story? How did I do the research for four different timelines? Now, fully immersed in the research for my third historical fantasy novel, I’ve… Read more »
So you are interested in fiction writing, but you are unsure of how to get started. I completely understand! There’s more to fiction writing than just taking up a pen and paper, or climbing into your computer chair and firing up your laptop. One of the hardest things about fiction writing can be coming up… Read more »
