Kids Lit
An Old Story New Every Year
The birth of Jesus from Luke 2 is one story that never grows old. Generations of writers have explored…
November 8, 2022-
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ScreenwritingPumping the Brakes
This month I want to continue talking about the importance of pacing and screenwriting. I want to emphasize that…
November 4, 2022 -
Writing for YAHow to Keep Readers Engaged: Interview with Ya Author M.J. Padgett
M. J. Padgett is a YA author and co-owner of Pirate Cat Publishing and I asked her advice about…
October 28, 2022 -
Writing RomanceWho’s Behind the Mask?
Upon doing a search for romance novels that include a masquerade, I found that many romance novels include the…
October 23, 2022 -
History in the MakingThe Tarnished Glamour of Masquerades
If you watch movies or read fiction novels, your perception of masquerades is probably of elaborate parties among the…
October 20, 2022 -
Mastering Middle Grade
I’m an Author
My co-host Lori Scott has an exceptional series about bringing her YA novel from concept to reality, but for…
October 16, 2022 -
Magazine, Freelance, and CopywritingHow To Overcome Creative Burnout as a Freelance Writer
While the life of a writer may seem easy to the outsider, in reality, it is not for the…
October 14, 2022 -
Fantasy-Sci-FiWonder
I wonder… What made you fall in love with science fiction and fantasy? As a child, I loved fairy…
October 10, 2022 -
Kids Lit
How to Launch a Dinosaur
Back in 2021, I relayed the long, long trail to sell a 181-word board book manuscript for publication. And…
October 8, 2022 -
Screenwriting
Slow Your Roll
Labor Day weekend, I finally decided to go see the action movie Top Gun: Maverick. It seemed like a…
October 4, 2022 -
Writing for YA
Is Your Historical Novel YA or Adult Coming of Age
How do you know if you’ve written a young adult novel or an adult coming of age? What about…
September 27, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
Can Your Male Character Still Be the Hero in Your Romance Novel?
The current writing trend is to have strong, independent female characters. These female characters can run a business and…
September 23, 2022 -
Mastering Middle GradeInside the Ten-Foot Line: From Conception to Publication (Part Two)
Last month, I detailed the first half of my journey to publication for my MG/YA sports novel Inside the…
September 16, 2022 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
An Introduction to Website Copywriting
Being a freelance writer today often means seeking a range of creative opportunities. There are certainly few writers today…
September 14, 2022 -
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Valued
From her earliest days, my mom’s life lacked value in the sight of others. Born female and Korean in…
September 10, 2022 -
Kids Lit
Opening Lines for Picture Books
First lines make a promise. From “Call me Ishmael” (Moby Dick, Herman Melville, 1851) to “Happy families are all alike; every…
September 8, 2022 -
Screenwriting
SubPlots
Last month, I decided to go back and work on an updated version of my original award-winning inspirational screenplay…
September 4, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
How Candlelight Brings Out the Romance in Your Characters
What is it about candlelight that makes a candlelight dinner so romantic? First of all, did you know that…
August 23, 2022 -
History in the Making
The School Bus (Pt. 2) Riding Through Racial Tensions
Public school buses (part 1- almostanauthor.com) hit the road in the 1920s, traveling the soon-to-be-familiar roads of segregation. But…
August 20, 2022 -
Kids Lit
More Meantime…
Things are getting more exciting for fall – real conferences in person with live editors taking pitches. But until…
August 16, 2022 -
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Location, Location, Location: Where Do We Find Our Peeps?
Finding your tribe can be difficult, especially for writers who’d much rather stay at home. It doesn’t take an…
August 10, 2022 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Inside the Ten-Foot Line: From Conception to Publication Part One
As I wrote this article, I got an email from my publisher letting me know that the pre-order sales…
August 8, 2022 -
Screenwriting
Plot Driven Story Telling
Recently I began working on a new screenplay project I pitched to a management team. For almost a year…
August 5, 2022 -
Writing for YA
How to Write the Opening Scene: Infusing Emotional Connection From Page One
I had a conversation recently with one of my writing friends. She wanted to talk about how to infuse…
July 27, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
Food, Feeding, and Romance
Have you ever wondered why a guy gives the girl he’s romantically interested in a box of chocolates? Or…
July 23, 2022
