We all want to have a unique voice, but no one wants to be known as a wordy writer. When your writing is wordy, you risk giving your...

I know you’ve heard this many times before, but if you want to excel at your craft, READ, READ, READ, and WRITE, WRITE, WRITE . Then...

All too often, and not only when critiquing a manuscript or editing for one of my clients but also when I’m simply reading a book for...

Tales of “writing rules” follow us everywhere, from our creative writing classes to critique groups and writing groups to workshops,...

One of the most repeated and misunderstood writing advice quotes comes from Mark Twain, who said, “Write what you know.” So, if you...

Stefanie Nici, author of The Smoke Tree and The Smoke Tree: Broken Branches, is a giver, and she just released her first nonfiction. It’s...

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...

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...

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...

Aiden pens sensual tales filled with dark vampires, wicked fae, fiery witches, and deliciously dangerous demons. Aiden, thank you so much...

Traditional vs. Indie Publishing Follow Your Dreams & Follow Your Path

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...

Dei comes from a proud military family and is a retired Air Force officer herself. She’s currently living her real-life love story in...

Don’t Look Now, But Your Book is Being Judged By Its Cover. And that includes both the front and back.

No matter where you live on this Earth, I imagine your world is somewhat different from what it was a year ago, and also somewhat different from those who live elsewhere, whether they live in the next town over or in another country. However, time and location are not the only things that make up the world around us. Yet, for many writers, when they hear the words “world building” in reference to writing, they immediately think that aspect only applies to fantasy or science f

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

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...

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...

I see post after post on various Facebook pages discussing traditional publishing versus self-publishing, but no one talks about the indepen

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