I’m a historical fiction author so it’s a safe bet that I love research. Unfortunately, historical research is like Netflix: Limit its consumption or you’ll never find time to write. So, today, let’s examine how to conduct research without overwhelming your main task—writing the book. For advice, I’ve enlisted my own research subject, the master… Read more »
Who wouldn’t want to write a bigger story? To grip readers across the spectrum and draw them into a wider universe, to ring all the bells. There are many paths to the writer’s holy grail. Bigger stories can be created or found. Ideally, both. Writing guru Donald Maass uses the metaphor of a canvas. Like… Read more »
Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint. They’re both ambitious undertakings that require consistent, focused effort over a longer period of time. They both require a special kind of dedication and optimism. And neither once comes without its setbacks. But that’s why we take on these challenges: to prove ourselves. To accomplish something…. Read more »
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 »
