Thinking of Why and What we write

Mar 27, 2022 | Blog, Writing, Writing Craft

The wonderful author Kathleen Gilles Seidel just said something to me and my podcast co-host, Pru Warren, that really grabbed me. We were talking about writing and publishing when she first started out thirty years ago. For those of you who don’t know, Kathy wrote...

Repeated Motifs

Mar 20, 2022 | Blog, Method, Writing, Writing Craft

Today I’m going to share with you a concept that you’ll probably all remember studying in your high school or college literature classes: repeated motifs. It sounds very high-brow and perhaps even high-fallutin’ but, in fact, it’s a really neat way of getting across a...

Five Endings To Avoid

Mar 13, 2022 | Blog, Method, Writing, Writing Craft

Last week I talked about beginnings, so this week it makes sense that I talk about endings. There are a number of ways you should NOT end your book. I’m going to run through a few of them and make recommendations for good alternatives as I do so. Now, usually, I write...

Great Beginnings

Mar 6, 2022 | Blog, Method, Writing, Writing Craft

What is it that takes your reader from their comfy chair and places them into the world of your story? What makes a reader lose themselves in a book? It takes a great beginning. Is that beginning made of action? Is it character? Is it setting? What is it that is going...

Theme on Your Mind

Feb 20, 2022 | Blog, Method, Writing, Writing Craft

The human brain is an incredible thing. Not only does it make sure our bodies continue to function without a thought, it does a lot of other things that don’t require any deliberate thoughts on our part. The one I’m thinking of today is writing a deeper meaning into...