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 »
As I write this article, I am in the company of my two spider plants. They live in a corner where they get some light from the overhead tape LEDs when I work during the day. My office does not have a window for them to receive direct daylight. They are surviving but not necessarily… Read more »
Time management is an important skill that can be difficult to achieve for authors. You can’t just hope it will happen, you need to work on it. This can be difficult when you have a busy schedule and you’re trying to balance work, school, extracurricular activities, and family. Fortunately, there is an alternative to traditional… Read more »
Most of us have memories of fairy tales. Maybe your parents told you a story of a princess who saves a prince from a curse with her kiss, perhaps a babysitter tucked you in while recounting the exploits of a very sly fox and how he came to the lion’s court to face judgment, or… Read more »
Romance writers, listen up. Are you planning to attend a future writing conference? You need ammunition to nab an agent and/or publisher for your amazing romance novel. So, here you are, skimming the pages of your favorite writer’s magazine. You see an advertisement for a writing conference with awesome workshops and agents who seek your… Read more »
In grade school, my sister won our science fair with a project about putting sponges in the dishwasher to kill bacteria. She had a good hypothesis, ran a solid experiment, and had lots of imagery on her presentation board. She had very clearly (and successfully) applied the scientific method. I like to break the scientific… 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 »
Have you ever considered becoming a stalker? Not a creepy stalker. A curiosity stalker. You see, not every inspiration appears like a magical bunny out of a hat. In fact, most of those inspiration bunnies spend their time hopping across your lawn, sneaking into your garden to nibble up your lettuce before something else catches… Read more »
We have all been there. You tried to make your flat characters in your short stories come to life, but they seem so bland, generic, and not likely at all to win the next contest you are about to enter. Or perhaps you just want to win a scholarship, which requires an essay that requires… Read more »
The 6 Creativity Killers lurk around every corner. They steal your time, drain your energy, and stop your writing cold. What follows is a reconnaissance report on these enemies. Read with caution, write with bravery, and arm yourself with these little-known defenses against the 6 Creativity Killers. Killer #1: Self-Criticism Defense: Conquer your inner critic… Read more »
