Writing Romance
DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART
Romance readers’ expectations: Finding the best setbacks and obstacles for my couple to overcome is one of my greatest…
February 23, 2025-
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Magazine, Freelance, and CopywritingCreative Roadmap for Aspiring Authors: Practical Tips for Crafting and Funding Your Writing Journey
While many might try to dissuade you from embarking on a journey to becoming an author, sticking with it…
February 13, 2025 -
Kids LitBooks to Read BEFORE You Write
Mentor books are those an author studies before they do any writing. For a retreat last week, I had…
February 8, 2025 -
Writing for YAEvaluating Your Writing Year: What Success Looks Like
How do you feel about end-of-year evaluations? Confession time: Shiny new planners excite me, but when we near the…
January 28, 2025 -
Romancing Your Story
Knowing (and Meeting) Reader Expectations
All fiction readers come to their chosen stories with certain expectations. A mystery reader expects a puzzle to solve.…
November 23, 2024 -
History in the MakingBehind the Doors of the Grocery Store: INEVITABLE CHANGE Part 2
CHANGE —A Spark for Writers Seeking an Innovative Angle for Their stories. Change can bring new life or dread…
November 20, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Writing is a Group Activity!
I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I…
November 8, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Jumpstart Evocative Writing During the Holidays
Does your prose suffer from overly mechanical writing? Your story gets there, but the scenery is somewhat bland? Or…
October 27, 2024 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
How to Start Writing Professionally: Essential steps for Aspiring Authors
Landing your first professional writing gig can feel like an uphill task if you’re an aspiring author. Things can…
October 15, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Writing is a Group Activity!
I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I…
October 9, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Tips for the Spotlight Shy Author: Written INterviews
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of the spotlight. I’m completely comfortable speaking in…
September 28, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Our Most Important Sentence
Once the dream book is finally contracted, the most important writing starts. Essentially what we write in preparation for…
September 8, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Avoiding Burnout: Interview with YA Author Gillian Bronte Adams
Burnout. It’s a consequence of producing books that authors don’t always consider. Today’s authors must juggle multiple roles, and…
August 27, 2024 -
Romancing Your Story
A Trope with a Twist
Readers, particularly romance readers, love stories that feel familiar—shorthand for they use tropes—but also seem new and bring a…
August 23, 2024 -
History in the Making
Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: The Early American Era
For writers, opportunities wait behind the doors of the grocery store! A plethora of plots. Character reveals. Centuries of…
August 20, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Is That True??!!
I heard comments/complaints in a writer’s group recently that “it is impossible to get your book into the library”…
August 8, 2024 -
Uncategorized, Writing for YA
Setting the Stage for Historical YA
It can be tricky to grab a reader and plunge them into a different world, and even more so…
July 27, 2024 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
The Power of Networking: Building Meaningful Connections in the Writing Community
Writing can feel like a solitary career at times. After all, it’s just you, the keyboard, and your ideas…
July 16, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Summer is for Experimenting!
I have been working/pitching a series of four board books for the last few years on the seasonal changes…
July 9, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Audiobook Production for Indies: Interview with YA Author Rachel Kovaciny
When I heard that Rachel Kovanciny recently worked with One Audiobooks to produce her guide: Explore Charlotte Bronte’s classic…
June 27, 2024 -
Magazine, Freelance, and CopywritingUprooting Your Writing Life: Tips for Moving Your Home Library
As a writer, your prized possession is almost certainly your collection of books. Whether you read reams of epic…
June 15, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Pitch Opportunities
Last month we put together pitches – the 30-second “What is your book about?” Unless you happen to end up next…
June 8, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Naming the Book Baby: How to Create a Compelling Title
My books rarely keep their working titles. This may be because the title wasn’t that great to start with,…
May 27, 2024 -
Romancing Your StoryTo Thine Own Self Be True
Plotter or Pantser? Or Plottser? Outline or just start writing? Index cards or story map? The Hero’s Journey or…
May 23, 2024 -
History in the Making
The Coffee Bean Grinder
Ahhh! Breathe it in—the aroma of fresh ground coffee beans. What a delightful detail to enhance the scene in…
May 21, 2024
