Posts
10 Minute Teaching for Novelists: Heroes vs. Protagonists
Today I’m sharing about heroic protagonists from Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass. Learning is much more fun with friends. Come join me on my next live session!
NO NaNoWriMo? Join Me for #FiMyNoMo
What’s #FiMyNoMo? I’m glad you asked. It’s my alternative to NaNoWriMo aka National Novel Writing Month which takes place in November. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve NEVER won the coveted NaNoWriMo badge or completed a book in a month, but I’m okay with that. And I’m in the middle of a novel, so instead of…
Reignite Your Passion for Writing
I started going through Donald Maass book “Fire in Fiction” and wanted to share what I’m learning with others. Come join me on my next live session!
I'm A BLABer Mouth!
And I’m having so much fun. My writing partner and I are now doing our Teen Writers Publish Podcast on Blab. I’d tell you all about it, but you just have to see for yourself. The Blab session below is me teaching on a book I’m reading. It’s a great way to chat with people…
I’m a BLABer Mouth!
Yes, it’s true! I’ve started Blabbing and I love it. My partner, Ron Estrada and I host our Teen Writers Publish Podcast LIVE almost every Saturday. If you’ve never seen it, check out the Blab Podcast below!
To Prove or Improve Your Writing?
My latest manuscript is what agents call “dead.” That means every major CBA publisher has rejected it. Sure, some called it “charming” and rejected it because they’ve already acquired a modern-day princess story while others claimed to want to work with me if only they had openings in their fiction lines. But that doesn’t change…
How To Write a Simple Summary
When I first query an editor with an story idea, I break it down into a few simple parts. A summary is not an overview of the entire novel, but rather a summary that will hopefully hook the editor into wanted to know more. This type of summary can be used on a One-Sheet (popular at…
Avoid Comma Drama
Punctuation, blech! Yes, I know, but it’s not as bad as grammar—a subject we’ll tackle another time. In my craft blog today, I’ll share a few simple comma guidelines. And I do mean simple! Okay, now that you’re wiping the sweat from your brow, let’s go. Introducing: The Comma That little flip on the page…
My Best Writng Advice
Early on in my writing journey, my quest for publication, I received a bit of advice that at first I balked but now, in clear hindsight, value more than any other counsel I was offered. I was never a big reader. In school I skimmed, jumped, skipped, and trotted through books, pulling out the highlights…
New House, New Life, New Post
If you’re still reading my blog or have stumbled upon it, this is my first post in a long time. So many life changes going on in the last three years I don’t have time to get into it all and the changes are not over. Which is probably a good thing because life without…