The Writing Craft

As a reader, I’ve never felt a good book was too long, even more than a thousand pages. And I’ve never found a bad book short enough. One of the most common questions writers ask me: “How long should my manuscript be?” Well, different publishers look for different lengths for different genres. Helpful, eh? 😊 […]

Regardless how many books I’ve written or sold, if I’m not still educating myself about writing, I’m stagnating. My late mother taught me the value of life-long learning. Not only was she a piano teacher into her eighties, but she was also a piano student.  One of the most powerful learning tools today is the […]

Based on what I hear wherever I speak, it’s clear that beginning writers agonize as much over find their writing voice as over any other issue.  Trust me, while it’s crucial you find your unique writing voice, it really isn’t all that complicated.  You wouldn’t be able to tell that from the plethora of blogs, […]

Guest post by Becca Puglisi Realistic, evocative dialogue is an important part of any successful story. We need our characters’ interactions to be authentic, consistent, and engaging to draw readers in to what’s happening. So when we’re learning to write, we spend a lot of time on mechanics—learning all the grammar and punctuation rules. But […]

Would you believe that even after writing and publishing nearly 200 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers, I still take daily steps to hone my writing skills? Whether you’re a beginner or have been at it for decades as I have, writing well takes work. No shortcut, no secret sauce will turn you into […]