Craft: Adding Jargon to Your Novel

Craft: Adding Jargon to Your Novel

by | Apr 12, 2026 | Blog, Writing, Writing Craft

A brief word about this blog first: The absolutely hardest thing about writing a weekly blog post is coming up with topics to write about. Since I’ve been publishing this blog for fifteen years now (!!!), I feel as if I’ve covered everything and sometimes many times...
Ten Ways to Give Your Character Their Voice

Ten Ways to Give Your Character Their Voice

by | Apr 6, 2026 | Blog, Writing, Writing Craft

Writing distinct character voices might be one of the most difficult parts of writing fiction. It is one thing to write great, believable dialogue that moves your story forward, but then to imbue those words with the individual voice of the character who speaks takes...
Five Reasons You Need a Human Editor

Five Reasons You Need a Human Editor

by | Mar 29, 2026 | Blog, Method, Self-publishing, Writing

AI is everywhere and you might be using it without even knowing you’re doing so. How? By using the common editing apps Grammarly and ProWriting Aid. They are both now powered by AI. So, what’s the best way to avoid using any AI in the writing of your novel? Use a...
Non-Linear Storytelling–Should You Attempt It?

Non-Linear Storytelling–Should You Attempt It?

by | Mar 15, 2026 | Blog, Writing, Writing Craft

A client of mind recently sent me a novella. It started out with “four years ago.” Okay. I can deal with a little backstory to begin with. The next chapter was “one year ago.” Cool, we’re coming up on present day. A little slowly, but we’re good. Next chapter “present...
Obsidian for Authors

Obsidian for Authors

by | Mar 8, 2026 | Blog, Method, Writing

Last week I talked about some of the tools in my writer’s toolbox. This week, I want to get into some detail about how I use Obsidian. If you don’t know, Obsidian is an app that resides on your computer where you can create pages and take notes on anything. Not only...
Using all the tools in my writer’s toolbox

Using all the tools in my writer’s toolbox

by | Mar 1, 2026 | Blog, Method, Writing

I have a lot of tools in my writer’s toolbox and I use each and every one despite the fact that many overlap in their abilities. Is that nuts? Weird? Inefficient? Maybe, but it works for me. Before I even begin to write a book, I create characters and plot the book on...