#5OnFri: Five Planners for Writers

Happy Friday Word Nerds! Today I want to talk about one of my personal obsessions: planners. In high school and college, one of my favorite yearly purchases was the perfect planner, always bought in August, in time for school. The options were basically what the bookstore had to offer. But now, there are so many options for planners…. Read more »

#5onFri: Writing Apps to Help You Finish That Book

I’m always on the lookout for writing apps that will boost my productivity and make all my creative troubles disappear. You know what I’m talking about: that perfect app that combines the power of a PC with the form-meets-function beauty of a Mac. Oh, and it writes your book for you too. Yeah, right. The… Read more »

Anatomy of a Love Scene, Part One

I write romance, so yeah, I love love scenes. I enjoy writing them. It’s a lot of fun. I look forward to them. Contrary to what many think, though, those love scene aren’t always sexual. It can be any moment of intimacy between two characters, a simple touch of a hand. Not necessarily skin to… Read more »

Ten Tips for Tired Writers

It’s November, and I am going to go out on a limb here and bet that there are a few tired writers out there. The days are short. School fatigue may be setting in. The holidays are just around the corner, with all the wonderful chaos they bring. And, on top of that, we’re about… Read more »

A Case Study on Art as a Literary Theme

Music, painting, acting – art comes in many forms and can have a profound impact on our lives. It can also be a treat for the reader’s imagination when it takes center stage in a story. This never happens by coincidence, though. When art appears in fiction, it always has a purpose and therefore resonates… Read more »

Flash Fiction Exercises for #NaNoWriMo Prep

National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo) is in a few days, and many of us are still scrambling around, trying to complete our plans before November 1. Some #NaNoWriMo participants are feeling particularly confident right now. Maybe they spent the last few months plotting. Maybe they’re excited about pansting their next work. Regardless of the reason… Read more »

#5OnFri: Five Benefits of Aiming High During NaNoWriMo

It’s Fall! And for most people, that means Pumpkin Spice Lattes, sweaters, Chai Tea and crunching leaves. But for writers, it also means November–or, more specifically, NaNoWriMo–is just around the corner. In November, thousands of writers take a pledge to write 50,000 words on a book. It’s a fantastic exercise that can yield all kinds… Read more »