Craft
Learn to Write Anywhere
Learning to write anywhere is really important. On most mornings after the sun has come up, I undock my laptop from its station and move into my living room where the sun pours through an East facing window. In Spring I can hear birds chattering from an evergreen tree off the back deck and with…
Using Character Values to Write Great Fiction
Values determine a character’s abstract motivations and concrete goals. Values are important because they define, ultimately, what a character will and won’t do. When a character’s values are in conflict, they force the character to make a choice. That’s a key to writing great fiction. It’s easy to make a decision when you only value…
Online Novel Writing for Teens
I said I would and I did! I launched my online novel writing course for teens. This is the popular class that I’ve been teaching and tweaking for seven years. It was inspired by many classes, courses, and writing teachers over the last ten years, including the fabulous Susan May Warren who has this to say…
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…
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…
Do You Struggle with Procrastination?
Hello, my name is Julie, and I’m a procrastinator. Procrastination something that I struggle with often. I have a short attention span, which isn’t helpful when you’re writing novels. I’m the mom of a four-year-old and have a full-time job. If I procrastinate, I’m not going to get it all done. It has forced me…
The Power of Love Stories
When my first romance novel released in 2010, I took it to a local Christian bookstore only to have the older gentleman in charge tell me that Christians shouldn’t read romance. We should only read about stuff that will change our world, like politics. My first reaction was to feel sorry for his wife. But…