Good, character-revealing dialogue does more than move a plot forward—it reveals who your characters are when they’re not trying to explain themselves. What they say, how they say it, and what they don’t say all build a portrait more vivid than any description could....
Despite what the experts say, dog people know that pups smile. We also know that they convey their feelings in many ways with different parts of their bodies. When Misha’s ears are back, he’s in his happy place. When they bounce around during an off-leash walk, he’s...
If you’re getting close to publishing your book on Amazon and don’t really understand how Kindle Unlimited works and whether it would be a good option for you, you’re not alone. With several clients writing cozy romance or mystery novels—a couple of the genres that...
I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I'm making a writing resolution this year. I'm committing to doing my own writing, which all too often gets back-burnered. A few years ago, a group of writers was surveyed about how they would feel if they didn't write. Their...
A lot of writers don’t really understand how the whole compensation piece works in publishing. A lot of aspiring authors are also convinced they’re going to write a bestseller and make a fortune. Here’s your author profit reality check, along with a few must-know...
Do you really know when to use me not I, or have you joined the apparent national movement to get that wrong? The trend drives me so nutty that I’m going to do my bit to reverse it by reposting a version of this rant every quarter. Of course, it’s hard...
Pitching a magazine article is a little like asking someone out on a date. You don’t want to gush endlessly, you don’t want to be vague, and you definitely don’t want to sound like you copied the same line for 50 people. You want to be intriguing, specific, and worth...
My father used to give the same Thanksgiving toast every year. Raising his glass, he simply said, “Thanks.” I’m definitely my father’s daughter. Unable—or perhaps unwilling—to improve on this post, I have simply decided to run it every year at this time as a tribute...
A great paragraph can sparkle—but without good transitions, your readers will still stumble. Think of transitions as the invisible bridges or stepping stones that carry readers smoothly from one idea, scene, or chapter to the next. Done well, they create a sense of...
