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WRITE WITH AUTHENTICITY AND YOUR CHARACTERS WILL FOLLOW
One of the most repeated and misunderstood writing advice quotes comes from Mark Twain, who said, “Write what you know.” So, if you...


Are You Dating Your Story?
And no, I'm not talking about dinner and a movie. What I’m talking about here is whether putting the year or some specific true event in...


Five Sure Ways to WRECK the Ending of Your Novel
The great Mickey Spillane once said, “Nobody reads a book to get to the middle.” Well, duh. But really, think about that. Isn’t the...


FOUR MUST-HAVE STORY ELEMENTS
Have you ever been told your story is lacking? Perhaps the one telling you something is missing is the voice inside your head. You know...


How to Find the Right Editor for YOU
Because just like everything in life, not all editors are the same and just because that editor your friend is using has been great for...


TRADITIONAL vs. INDIE PUBLISHING Follow Your Dreams & Follow Your Path
Traditional vs. Indie Publishing
Follow Your Dreams & Follow Your Path


IS HEAD-HOPPING REALLY SO AWFUL?
Have you ever been told your head-hopping is a problem, and you just can’t understand why? You like the way your prose reads and don’t...


WHAT’S YOUR BOOK WEARING TO ITS PREMIER?
Don’t Look Now, But Your Book is Being Judged By Its Cover. And that includes both the front and back.


What's World Building Got to Do with Writing Contemporary Fiction? Everything!
No matter where you live on this Earth, I imagine your world is somewhat different than it was a year ago, and I want you to think about...


GOT LEAKS IN YOUR PLOT?
Avoid Those Small Leaks Because They Ultimately Lead to Major Cracks Ever read a story that had tiny leaks in its plotline? Those...


WRITING WITH ALL FIVE SENSES
Oh, the visuals! Now some of you may have heard me talk about this before, but visuals are more important than you can imagine. Without...


WHAT’S THE RIGHT PUBLISHING ROUTE FOR YOU? (Part 4 of a 4 Part Series -Self-Publishing)
So, here we are at the end of the series, ready to broach the subject of that third path to publishing. The most recent spice added to...


WHAT'S THE RIGHT PUBLISHING ROUTE FOR YOU? (Part 3 of a 4 Part Series - Independent Publishing)
I see post after post on various Facebook pages discussing traditional publishing versus self-publishing, but no one talks about the indepen


Which Path to Publishing is Right for You! (Part 2 of a 4 Part Series - Traditional)
As Bob Dylan told us way back in the early sixties, “the times they are a-changin’” and boy are they ever. We’re in the 21st century now, a


What's The Right Publishing Path For You? (Part 1 of a 4 part series)
Many of the aspiring authors I run into have done little research in the area of publishing. If you ask me, I’d say this is because they are


Writer's Block. Legend, Myth, or Folktale?
How about all three. After all, a legend is a story that typically includes an element of truth. It’s based on historical facts, but with my


20 Things You Need to Know About Your Main Character
Have you been told your characters are one or two-dimensional? Perhaps you’re having trouble weaving your character arc or connecting those


SHEDDING THE UGLY MASK FROM SELF-EDITING
What you envision when you think about self-editing is nothing but a mask that simply needs to be peeled away. I swear it!
Daily, I hear w


Are You On Pace To Get Your Readers Over the Finish Line?
How important is pacing? Probably more than you realize. Poor pacing can easily send your book to the donate pile. Or worse, the garbage pil


HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR BOOK BE?
Quite simply put, your story should be as long as it needs to be. In other words, just because your brother told you he loved your short sto
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