This may be a personal preference, but whenever I’m browsing through novels at an author event, I’ll usually open to a few random pages and look for some dialogue. Generally, if I can’t find any dialogue at all, I’ll put the book back down, since Read More …
In my role as a freelance editor, I see a lot of job posts seeking the assistance of an experienced, professional editor. Many of these are generic job listings from companies looking for SEO experts and fact-checkers, but there are also a fair share of Read More …
Ask any writer where they’d most like to practice their craft and I’m sure you’ll hear a fascinating menagerie of locations and situations. From sun-soaked beaches to a gazebo in a thunderstorm, certainly the imagination of all writers occasionally turns to a daydream of where Read More …
We’re at our most successful when we hear voices in our heads. 2. No matter how much time we have alone, we still wish we could have more. 3. We will spend half an hour fixing one paragraph only to cut it and the rest Read More …
I recently watched a documentary focusing on the many creative and political problems that went into the first two seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Among the stories of high stakes negotiations and toxic work environments, I was particularly intrigued by the problems that Read More …
Just so you all know, excuses 1-10 first appeared on my old blog back in 2015. Excuses 11-20 are all new. Judge for yourselves whether my sense of humor has changed at all. 🙂 1. My cat is reclining on my keyboard. 2. My knick-knacks Read More …
We see the standards all the time. Tough Guy as a babysitter, Country Girl in the big city, Regular Joe in high society… But there are so many other scenarios we never seem to see. Here’s just ten of them: 1. Librarian in a gladiatorial Read More …
Sometimes we need a little extra reason to escape into our writing. Here are ten for you. Leave any additional ones that you can think of in the comments below. 1. Even if you’re having a bad day, you can spend a little time in Read More …
I always have a carefully crafted playlist of music for my writing sessions. However, my regular writing playlist has recently taken a backseat to all my favorite Christmas tunes, and it got me thinking. What if all these carols and festive favorites started to have Read More …
The business of writing books can be discouraging, and there are times when you may feel like there’s little to be thankful for. However, there are blessings and silver linings in every situation, and the more we express gratitude for them, the happier we will Read More …
