Fiction

Naming characters can be nearly as stressful as naming a newborn. You want interesting and memorable names, but not quirky or outrageous — unless you’re writing a comedy. You definitely don’t want boring names. When you hit on the right name, you’ll know it. And if you’re like me, your favorite novels have unforgettable characters […]

If your writing bores you, it’ll put your reader to sleep.  And unfortunately, your first reader will be an agent or an editor.  Your job is to make every word count—the only way to keep your reader riveted until the end, which is no small task. Riveting dialogue is your friend because it can accomplish […]

You’ve got a great story idea you’re confident can become a page turner.  This is the one that won’t leave you alone. Every time you think or speak of it, you embellish it. Now what?  Plan your story like you’d plan a vacation — you wouldn’t leave home without an idea of where you’re headed, […]

Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of Epilogues. That’s not to say they’re all bad. In fact, I’ve ended several of my novels with Epilogues. Done right, they can be a powerful way to leave your reader satisfied. But beware! Approach your Epilogue wrong and you can ruin the end of your story. So, […]

Guest post by Tami Nantz There’s no way around it: If you want to write a story that pulls in readers, you must include compelling characters. They need to feel: Believable Mysterious Relatable But that’s difficult to pull off—one reason most stories are unpublishable.  Maybe you’re feeling this tension right now. Maybe you’ve created a […]