When I think of a series, my mind envisions… a cast of characters thrown into different situations over a discrete period of time. My Rowe-Delamagente series is exactly this. My main characters (Kali, Zeke, Otto, and a few others) follow the timeline of their life while fighting bad guys. Then, a couple of months ago, … Continue reading
Every week (well, most weeks), I share a tip with writers, a trick that makes a big difference in the rhythm and feel of a novel. Some, you can make use of immediately. Others, file away for that cranky day when your writing limps along and you don’t know why. Here are the 2017 Top Ten … Continue reading
One of my most popular posts turned out to be about Image Copyright Do’s and Don’ts. I thought I’d follow it up with a slideshow I share in one of my classes on that topic. Images can make a post but they can also break you if done wrong! I’ll embed the slideshow but I’ll … Continue reading
When I teach professional development classes, by far the topic that surprises attendees the most is the legal use of online images. And they’re not alone. On my blog, in educator forums, and in the virtual meetings I moderate, there is much confusion about what can be grabbed for free from online sites and what … Continue reading
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make … Continue reading
Today, I’m hosting Ryan Lanz, avid blogger over at Ryan Lanz.com and author of The Idea Factory: 1,000 Story Ideas and Writing Prompts to Find Your Next Bestseller. He has some great ideas on dialogue tags I think you’ll enjoy: Writers use dialogue tags constantly. In fact, we use them so often that readers all but gloss over … Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I attended the San Diego Writers Conference, sponsored annually by San Diego State University. It was my second time at this event (here are my takeaways from last year’s event) so I knew it would be cerebral, well-worth the time and money, leave me motivated to get back into the trenches with … Continue reading
Every week (well, most weeks), I share a tip with writers, a trick that makes a big difference in the rhythm and feel of a novel. Some, you can make use of immediately. Others, file away for that cranky day when your writing limps along and you don’t know why. Here are the Top Ten … Continue reading
This week, I’ll post three holiday activities that will get your digital devices ready for the blitz of writing you’ll swear to accomplish in New Year resolutions. Here’s what you’ll get (the links won’t be active until the post goes live): Update Your Online Presence Speed Up Your Computer Backup and Image your computer Today: Image and … Continue reading
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make … Continue reading
