We’ve been talking a lot about story submissions, but we never really stopped to discuss all the things you need to consider in general terms. I thought it might be nice to provide you with a checklist so you have no questions about whether your T’s are crossed and I’s…
Blanche, Muffy, Winchester, Bruiser, Tiny. Each name and nickname evoke something in us. They imply something. Each time you choose a name for a character in your work, that name determines how you want your reader to react to the character—the image you want the character to portray.A simple name…
Allison stepped onto the patio, enjoying the coolness of the desert southwest evening. Saguaro cacti were silhouetted against the sunset, and a roadrunner darted behind an agave plant. A cactus wren perched nearby. Allison walked further into the yard and stopped to stand beneath a giant magnolia tree… Okay, I…
One criterion publishers use to determine whether they should take a risk on a writer is the ubiquitous author platform. I know. You’re rolling your eyes and sighing. Maybe getting a little queasy feeling in your stomach. All authors—traditionally published, self-published, or hybrid—need a platform to market their work. There…
Coming in August UNDEFEATED A War Widow’s Story of Faith and Survival A look inside: It was a Sunday—uneventful for the most part. Earlier that day, I was at a birthday party with my eleven-year-old son, Justin, and my six-year-old daughter, Meredith. Home from the festivities, I began to make…
As authors, we spend a lot of time on our manuscripts – whether they are novels, novellas, short stories, poems, or other genres. We want to get the most out of our marketing, and one of the best marketing tools for our published content is the synopsis of our work….
All good stories have conflict. Something to keep you interested. What provides conflict? A well written villain. Someone who makes you root for the hero. As you write your novel, if you simply concentrate on your hero/heroine, you are leaving out what makes your story great. Conflict. Something or someone…
Critique groups. Critique partners. For many writers, the idea of joining such a group or linking with another writer is scary. New writers, in particular, may be hesitant about sharing their work. Some might be afraid of what other members will say or think. Still, others may feel inferior to…
Dear Booksie, I’ve been working really hard on my dystopian space opera/fairy tale mashup novel. It’s got all the cool elements of the genres I mixed, and it starts with a really neat description of a dark and stormy night. It took me three whole weeks to write these 200,000…
Last week we discussed a few tips to help you create a good manuscript. This week we have more tips to keep you going. Keep it Simple Long words, complicated sentences, and off the cuff tags only distract the reader. Don’t force your audience to stop to look up words…
