Some holiday inspiration for your writing and creative life! Sending you all loads of literary love this holiday season! Recently, I had a chance to visit the North Pole and chat it up with Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Let me tell you, that is one optimistic little squirt if I ever saw one. And a… Read more »
Romance author Alexis Daria’s first book, TAKE THE LEAD, named one of Washington Post’s Five Best Romances of 2017, released with St. Martin’s Press Swerve in October. She was under a tight deadline for her second book in that same contract, DANCE WITH ME, and she’s here to tell us about how she used an… Read more »
One of the key elements to be mindful of when crafting a scene is tension. Think of the scene like a stew. Your characters, plotlines, and conflict make up the “meat and potatoes”, but tension is that little extra spice that brings your scene to life. It’s the line that runs directly from your story… Read more »
When it comes to receiving critique, I’ve found that the more you put into the process, the more you get out of it. Here are some tips to help you make the most of a critique before, during and after the process. Before You Submit: Proofread and eliminate typos. If your submission is as tight… Read more »
November is a difficult month for me. My struggle has nothing to do with visiting relatives, cleaning sprees or the holidays, though. It’s the whole novel writing thing. NaNoWriMo. (If somehow you’ve missed what NaNoWriMo is, listen to this podcast, Episode 169: Boost Your Creative Mojo with Grant Faulkner.) Beginning each October, the NaNo fever… Read more »
“Who am I?” “Where do I fit in?” “Will other people accept me?” If these questions sound familiar, it might be because they’re part of being a teenager. Even adults can remember how challenging this period in our lives was, between school, friendships, dating, family, the pressures of responsibility, and an increasing craving for respect… Read more »
Many writers picture their name on the cover of a book and march toward that goal in a straight line, not stopping to enjoy other great opportunities to get published along the way. If that sounds like you, you might be missing out on some very rewarding writing time. Writing a short piece of fiction… Read more »
Have you ever read the side of a Chipotle cup while you eat your burrito? Browsed a company’s home page? Ever chuckled at an online recap of your favorite TV show? What about the little descriptions next to clothes in magazines? Then guess what — you’ve read something created by a copywriter. Copywriters write a… Read more »
How many times have you heard an editor or agent tell you to show more in your writing? It’s okay if you’re answer is “A lot.” This was the number one comment I received during my first writing class. Heck, I heard it in my next two or three writing classes, which got me thinking:… Read more »
Recently, I wrote an essay about the sea glass I collected as a kid. This essay was a fun one to write because it was the type of piece that grew in complexity the more I spent time on it. Until I got encouragement from an editor to write the piece, I didn’t feel it… Read more »
