Jul 10, 2019 | On Writing
First lines matter. For readers, they’re a welcome sign, the promise that they’re in for a satisfying reading experience. For agents and editors, they’re proof that you know how to open a story in a way that keeps readers reading. If you don’t nail those opening...
Dec 11, 2017 | On Writing
Starting a new novel is like planning a war campaign. Strategy is everything, and in those early days of testing characters and settings and plot lines, it’s best to go in quietly, fully armed, surprising the elements of your story into submission. At least until you...
May 18, 2015 | On Writing
Go epic or go home. Ground your story in time and place. Let the girl who can’t find love find it right under her nose. When your heroine must choose one thing or another, let her figure out that there’s always a third option that may let her live her life...
Nov 24, 2014 | On Writing
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Happy Thanksgiving! In the spirit of the season, I’d like to give thanks to books, my friends old and new. Here are the top ten writings for...
