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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 PREMIERE?
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 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


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 Folklore?
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
Daily, I hear writers gripe about self-editing. You just don’t want to do it. And why is that? Because you’re looking at self-editing through an ugly mask.
But if you peel away just one layer of that mask at a time and look at the true face of self-editing, you just might start looking forward to it. Really!


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 MY 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...


Common Newbie Mistakes To Avoid
Remember, even your favorite author was once a newbie. Shakespeare, Austin, Dickens... Even Mark Twain once upon a time sat down with pen an


Plotter or Pantser - Who is the Better Storyteller?
Now, here’s a question that could be debated until the end of time. And if you ask me, one without a definitive answer. In fact, I’d be will


Getting Back to Basics - Fact or Fiction
Fact: A thing that is indisputably the case.
Fiction: Literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that descri


Want to Improve Your Writing Skills?
I know you’ve heard this a hundred times before, but if you want to be really good at your craft, all you have to do is READ, READ, READ, an
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