Writing
-
How I created my Author Newsletter
As many of you have probably heard, having an author newsletter is a great way to reach out to your ideal readers. But what happens if you don’t actually have any books out yet? What could you possibly put in a newsletter that would be of any interest to anyone else? I struggled with that
-
WEEKLY TASKS IN MY WRITING WORLD
In today’s world, with all the resources available thanks to the world wide web, authors have so many more ways to engage with their potential readers and fellow writers. But with that comes a lot of new responsibilities. I have finally had to designate specific tasks for specific days in my week if I can
-
Ten Things I Researched for my Books
Narcissistic behaviors in relationships When I wrote the villain in my first book, When Love Won’t Die, I based his character on several different people, both real and fictional. As I figured out how to write him, it became obvious to me that he was a narcissist, so I researched the different behavior patterns attached
-
My 10 Steps for Writing a Novel
1. In my *ideas* notebook, I flip through what I’ve scribbled down in moments of inspiration and see if something grabs me. If not, I ask myself “What if…” until something gets me excited. 2. Start writing the 1st draft, one scene at a time. 3. Leave the finished draft for a week
-
Ten Things Present Me would tell Past Me about writing
The other day, as I was working on the first draft of my third suspense WIP, I started to reflect on my writing journey. I had gone over to my office bookshelf to look for my notebook and saw the first novel I ever wrote filed amongst all the others I’ve collected. This first book
-
PHOBIAS and great ways to use them
One thing I love about writing in the suspense/thriller and horror genres is having characters with flaws that readers can identify with. Whether it’s being afraid of the dark or feeling the terror of being watched, our phobias are truly things that scare us. Below is a list of TEN phobias that would fit well
-
CHARACTERS: Where to Start
Every time I begin a new project, I brainstorm a very basic outline of the story I want to write. This outline contains a simple description of the setting, basic plot points, and who will be my main characters. For me, creating characters is so much fun. My first step is always to profile my
-
The Best and the Worst Parts of Being a Writer
I can’t imagine not having writing in my life, but for those who romanticize about what being a writer is like, here’s my top 5 best and worst things about choosing to put words to the page and work toward getting books out into the world. THE HARDEST PARTS ABOUT BEING A WRITER THE BEST
-
What are Tropes?
If you read or write genre fiction, you are definitely familiar with tropes. Tropes are devices that can create familiarity in a story, move the plot along, and satisfy reader’s expectations, like the happy ever after of a romance novel, or the reveal of the murderer in the whodunnit. I write genre fiction: suspense/thriller and
-
Inspiration is Everywhere – You just have to Look
I belong to several writing groups/communities and there are always folks who are stuck in their writing process. Whether it’s writer’s block in the middle of their novel draft, looking for original ideas for their next blog post, or just becoming stuck finding something that gets them excited to write. I’m not usually one of