Should you write before you write?

Mar 3, 2024 | Blog, Method, Writing

Writing before you write? Why? The obvious answer is to get your thoughts together, but there are other reasons as well. Here are five you might want to consider: Whether you’re a pantser or plotter, we all need to rally our thoughts. We’re human; our...

Are you having fun yet?

Feb 25, 2024 | Blog, Life, Writing

How do you feel when you’re heading to work? Are you excited? Are you anxious? Are you looking forward to it or dreading it? Everyday when I head into my office to start my work day I can’t wait to get going. I make a list of all that I need to do that day, prioritize...

Cheat: Get to know your characters faster

Feb 18, 2024 | Blog, Method, Writing

If you’re a pantser, you probably start out writing your story with a vague idea of some characters—the protagonist, a secondary character or two, and maybe the antagonist. You know, sort of what happens in the story, or maybe you don’t. Maybe you just know that there...

Reviving an old book

Feb 11, 2024 | Blog, Business of Writing, Writing, Writing Craft

If you’ve been publishing for a while, it’s possible that you’ve got some old, backlist books that could use an update. But how do you go about doing it and what should you consider when you face this task? I’ve recently been re-reading one of the first books I...

Why not omniscient voice?

Feb 4, 2024 | Blog, Writing, Writing Craft

I’ve been working with an author who has written a “self-help novel”. Basically, he wants readers to come away having learned a lesson after reading his fictional book. Fiction with a moral? Whatever you want to call it, he’s a new author (this is his first book) and...

You Deserve a Break

Jan 28, 2024 | Blog, Life, Writing

We have all be hearing for years about the importance of taking breaks throughout the workday. There are dozens of apps to “help” you do so from timers to focus sessions to just plain-old turning off all notifications. We are told to take a break every 20...