Omniscient POV

I’ve been reading a book that was highly recommended—and not by just anybody, but everybody! All the blogs I read that recommend books recommended this book. Even NPR recommended the book! It’s a Regency-set fantasy which is one of my absolute favorite genres, and one...

The importance of knowing the basics

Grammar is absolutely my least favorite thing about being a writer… and yet, I’m also an editor. Go figure that one out! Actually, if you were to ask a bunch of editors whether they enjoyed grammar I’d guess that at least half would say no. Grammar just isn’t...

Deliberate Motifs

On the Writers’ Block Party Podcast, we recently had Kathleen Gilles Seidel back to speak with us about repeated motifs (note: this won’t air for a few weeks, sorry!). I wrote about them on this blog a couple of months ago, but Kathy did something unique: she...

Where do you learn to write?

Way back in the dark ages, when I started writing, I learned from books. I bought books on point of view, setting, story structure—everything I could get my hands on. I have two large shelves full of books on writing craft. I also went to conferences—you remember we...

As you know…a look into dialogue

Merry gazed into her computer screen at the twelve avid readers of her blog and countless others who popped in every now and then to see what she was writing this week. “You know I love you all,” she said with a wistful smile. “I’ve been writing this blog now for ten...