As authors we are always on the lookout for ways to improve our craft—to help our writing rise above the slush pile and connect with readers. And once it’s in readers’ hands, we want our work to ring true, to stick with people long after they put it down. We read articles, watch webinars, scour… Read more »
Historical romance novels are in high demand. I wondered if the Netflix series, Bridgerton, which received a staggering viewership of 82 MILLION for its 8-episode first season, influenced this increased demand. My enquiring mind didn’t mess around. I went straight to the pros for answers and emailed sisters, Bea and Leah Koch. These dynamic women… Read more »
Incorporating the full range of senses into your fiction can transform it from flat to multi-dimensional, impenetrable to immersive. Writers who set their stories in contemporary locations are often able to experience the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations of their setting firsthand simply by visiting the location. But what about those of us… Read more »
To write anything is to know that it can be rejected. It’s the unspoken oath you take as a food writer. There will be people who aren’t sold on what you can deliver, so you’ll have to refresh your work or find someone else who gets it. The hard part is you don’t always get… Read more »
It’s every writer’s worst nightmare—staring at a blank notebook page or computer screen with no motivation or inspiration. Feeling completely stuck. Writer’s block is more than just a joke or some kind of “fluke” thing. In fact, some of the most well-known writers in the world have to deal with it from time to time. … Read more »
I’ve always believed that a story idea is a magical butterfly that flutters around and lands on the one person that has the magnificence—that perfect combination of experience, perspective, emotions, heart, mind, and desire—to bring the story to life in such a way that reflects the writer’s soul and captures the reader’s heart. If a… Read more »
When you are writing a memoir, you spend a lot of your time excavating a past that is often elusive. To bring a memory to life on the page, you have to call up all the myriad details that filled it with emotion and meaning at the time, and the full force of any memory… Read more »
As writers, we spend a lot of time thinking about our story and our characters. We agonize over plot points and think about how to create heroes and heroines that our readers will love. We meticulously review the structure of our scenes, trying to keep our readers surprised and engaged. But we often skip right… Read more »
My previous installments of my humor column are Writing Humor When You Don’t Think You’re Funny and On Writing Humor as a Funny Introvert. I promised you that I would share three simple ways for all writers (even introverts) to start writing humor. Next installment will talk about the history of humor writing, so stay… Read more »
I hit a wall halfway through writing my debut novel. This is not unusual; as writers, this happens to most of us at one time or another. When I get blocked, it’s often only for a few days. I know all the tricks to fix the stoppered bottle of my brain: get outside, go for… Read more »
