All right, so when writing one of the main goals is to draw the reader through the piece. This is done any number of ways with story and characters and plot, but that’s not what we are here to talk about. Instead, today, I’m going to forge into straight up writing craft specifics that are...Read More

Okay, so last week we talked about tension. How to use it, what it is, and how I define it. Now that we’ve gone through that, let’s talk about this new method of story crafting I created accidentally for the conference while planning my talk on story structure. Yes, I did plan it late at...Read More

I don't identify tension as the stakes of a story. The stakes are the stakes. They can be high or low. That's sort of dependent on the story itself and its ins and outs. But tension is more akin to potential energy.Read More

As I mentioned last week, the conference came and went like a hurricane in my life. And, as with a hurricane, my body knew it was coming a week before and a week after. There was also a week of “cleanup” after it. It’s not done, of course, but I’m working at it. All of...Read More

So, with the rise of the machines and AI infiltrating everything from art to writing, we now need to consider what in the hell we’re going to do about it? Let me start by saying I don’t hate AI as a concept. In fact, I have found some interesting uses for ChatGPT and if apps...Read More

The second book in the Boston Blight universe is launching this coming Friday, February 13th, 2023. I am so excited to share this book with you. So far, my ARC readers have really enjoyed it. My cover designer, Angel Leya, knocked it out of the park with this one. Of course, she does that with...Read More

As we hit the middle of NaNoWriMo, many of you are shooting for your 1,667 – 2,000 words per day and trying to meet your deadlines. Fear of falling behind and the constant, looming sense that you aren’t writing fast enough dogs many writers at this point in the process, and I want to step...Read More

One of the things that I realized was never taught in any of my creative writing courses in college or even discussed a lot in most of the writing groups I’ve been in is exactly what it’s like to work with a professional editor. So, since I have been on both sides of that experience,...Read More

Writers are typically categorized into two camps: plotting and pantsing. And never the twain shall meet. These two categories have been around as long as I’ve been in the industry (over fifteen years now), and they’re talked about in countless books about writing and publishing as the two primary methods used to craft a book....Read More

Since August 1 is apparently “National Friendship Day,” I wanted to share a story about one of mine. Chris has been a friend of mine for twenty years, and if I’m honest, he’s the closest friend I have beside my husband. We know each other’s secrets, and we share triumphs. He’s everything a person could...Read More