How long should your novel be?

May 19, 2024 | Blog, Method, WIP, Writing

I struggle with this. I naturally write short. I’m concise, what can I say? I can somehow create well-rounded, in-depth characters in very few words. I can show just enough of a room so that it can be imagined by the reader. It doesn’t take me long at all to show the...

The Rules of Writing

May 12, 2024 | Blog, Method, Writing

Somerset Maugham once said that there are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. Well, a few people didn’t get the message. Here are rules for writing a novel, the process of it, the craft, editing, and then miscellaneous rules...

How do you feel about tropes?

May 5, 2024 | Writing, Writing Craft

Do you love them and couldn’t write a story without them? Do you hate them and think they are a scourge on the face of literature? No matter which way you feel, they are an essential aspect of writing genre fiction. You might think that tropes are just for romances....

Publishing Options

Apr 28, 2024 | Business of Writing, Writing

We live in an author’s world. It used to be that authors were dependent on publishers for getting their work out into the world and getting paid for their labors. Publishers were the ones with all the power and authors were completely at their mercy. An author,...

Finding a Good Editor

Apr 7, 2024 | Method, Self-publishing

One of the most important things a novelist must do-especially if they self-publish is find a good editor. But how do you know where to find one and how do you know if they’re good? When you begin looking for an editor, you need to know what sort of editing you...