lessons

Lessons Learned by a Debut Author

Do you want me to tell you a story?  Is there a better question to stoke the imagination and create anticipation? The promise of a story has always electrified me. I’ve wanted to become a writer since my parents read me bedtime stories filled with fantasy and adventure. I would often sneak out of bed… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Fantastic Resources for Writers

Are you insecure about your art or grammar? Do you need help with deep point of view or writing children’s books? Are you looking for a powerful tool to help your brand? I have five books that can help you through your insecurity and teach you what you need to know to grow as a… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Famously Rewritten Novels

Editing is a natural and necessary part of the writing process. But many writers dread revising their work. They’re exhausted from writing the first draft and the thought of changing or deleting words terrifies them. Bestselling books don’t get that way by accident. Rounds of careful revisions are what makes writing shine. Take a page… Read more »

How Writing Book Reviews Makes Me a Better Writer

In the summer of 2017, I attended ThrillerFest—the International Thriller Writers annual conference. A senior editor from Publishers Weekly (PW) was interviewed during one of the luncheons. He offered insights on the magazine’s book review process. I began to wonder what it would be like to review books for the publication, to have the privilege… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Vehicles for Showing Emotion

With so many books on the market (upwards of a million published each year), maintaining loyal readers continues to be a priority for authors. We not only need to get them reading our books, we’ve got to keep them reading—to the last page and onto whatever else we’ve written. Discussions abound on exactly what magical… Read more »

Deep Dive into Short Forms: Poetry

My next few articles will act as a deep dive into specific short form works. We’ll examine a piece from each short form and dive deep into its inner workings to find the path to success in our own short form pieces. Poets are alchemists. We transform the chaos of everyday life into sonnets and… Read more »