The Writing Craft

Do you ever wonder why a grammatically correct sentence you’ve written just lies there like a dead fish? I sure have. Your sentence might even be full of those adjectives and adverbs your teachers and loved ones so admired in your writing when you were… [Continue reading below]

You’ve heard this writing advice a thousand times, and you’ll hear it a thousand times more: Show, don’t tell. But what does it mean? If you struggle with the difference between showing and telling, you’re not alone. Once you’ve got it, it seems simple. But… [Continue reading below]

Acquisition editors have eagle-eyes for both talent and for amateurs. They’re looking for stuff to buy and publish, and most are so overwhelmed with submissions, they’ve learned to quickly spot anything that allows them to set your piece aside. Sound cruel? They don’t want reject… [Continue reading below]

Writing a novel with multiple main characters  can seem insurmountable. Who’s on stage when, and what do you do with the others at the same time? When your top priority is crystal clarity for your reader, you must somehow weave different perspectives in a way… [Continue reading below]

One of the toughest nuts for any novelist to crack is where to start. How do I know? Well, two-thirds of my 192 published books are novels, so I’ve faced this dilemma nearly 130 times. Trust me, it doesn’t get easier. But there are common… [Continue reading below]