Creating characters in our books is never entirely straightforward, and so many are influenced by our own lives and the people in them; one might think it would make writing them easier, but that’s not always the case. There are so many reasons for starting over in life, and they all come with their own… Read more »
I live in a house built in the 1800’s, so you’d think it would be easy for me to imagine the life of the 19th century character in my new novel Long Shadows. Tom Smiley is now a ghost in his boyhood home of the same vintage who is so deeply scarred by his time… Read more »
All authors dream of their own version of success: perhaps it’s making a living from their writing; or resonating with their readers; or receiving rave reviews… I have done all of these things and more by writing in a series, and today, I want to share my top five tips for doing just that. What… Read more »
A good story needs a great ending. No matter how interesting other parts of the story are, without a solid ending, the audience usually remembers the story as boring. This sounds harsh but it is fair. Think of the end as the reward for following you on a journey. After getting to the end of… Read more »
It happens to all writers. Your head is full of ideas that paint great pictures in your head, which you’re longing to put on paper, but the muse Calliope just isn’t there with inspiration for you. But if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. In other words,… Read more »
Regardless of the type of work you do, when you present yourself as a writer, you put a part of who you are into everything you create. That level of vulnerability makes it all the more important that you take steps to protect your privacy while promoting your writing online. If you’ve never given much… Read more »
You’re an author! Congratulations! Arriving here, book in hand, you’ve joined a very exclusive club. Writing is vulnerable, sacrificial and truth be told, a bucket-list item that most will never check off. An incredible amount of work goes into writing a book: the research, the writing, the editing and various publishing tasks. These can take… Read more »
Being a writer is no easy feat. Writing requires honesty and gumption. It requires you to be resilient, immune to criticism, and to spend hours locked away in seclusion. What makes a writer successful? Is it only about natural talent? Or is it more about discipline and learning resilience? Whenever I need some writing inspiration,… Read more »
Essays are having a hot moment right now, but they’ve been around for a long time. The word “essay” originates from the French word “essayer,” meaning “to try.” The form has certainly morphed with time, but in a sense boils down to the writer figuring out what they think and feel by writing about it…. Read more »
Writing a novel is a lengthy process, so it’s understandable that our inspiration can start to drift along the way. Inspiration often goes hand in hand with motivation – when we’re feeling excited and enthusiastic about our WIP the words flow more easily and the writing sessions fly by. Likewise, when we find ourselves feeling… Read more »
