Sequels

Sequels

It’s my daughter’s birthday today (Friday, as I write this)—she’s turned 27—and she’s given me an hour to get this blog written before I take her out. We’re going to engage in two of her favorite pastimes—sitting at a café with a cup of coffee and a pastry (something...
Beyond the three act structure

Beyond the three act structure

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that one of my passions is story structure. But, why? I hear you cry with incredulity in your voice. Well, for a number of reasons, actually. First, a well structured story is easier to follow for the reader....
Getting Out of My Own Head

Getting Out of My Own Head

I’m a Taurus. If you believe in astrology that’s going to explain everything I’m about to write very succinctly. I have a great deal of trouble letting go of things that happen. I go over them again and again in my head. Sometimes it’s a good thing, but more often...
A glance at my writer’s bookshelf

A glance at my writer’s bookshelf

We all need some help now and then. And we all need guidance on how to do this crazy thing we call “writing a novel”. I’ve found incredible inspiration and learned so many lessons from the books on my writer’s bookshelf. Here are some...
Getting Through Writing Anxiety

Getting Through Writing Anxiety

I am not a very self-confident person. I suffer from imposter syndrome and have forever. The more I do, the more I suffer. When I was merely a writer and mom, I worried that I was failing at both. When self-publishing became a Thing, I added formatting to my business...
Your Character’s Wound

Your Character’s Wound

I was so surprised last week when I realized that I had never written about a character’s wounds! I learned about this concept from Michael Hauge who speaks about character wounds in his incredible talk on “The Hero’s Two Journeys”.  The...