Writing
Weakness: Your Greatest Strength
I saw this meme on social media today, and it reminded me of a huge discovery I made that changed how I saw the world. See, I’ve been an outlier all my life. As a kid, I was a dreamer. My mother told me to get ready for school only to come back five minutes…
Read MorePatience Practice – How to Get More of it
I was thinking back the other day, to when I decided I wanted a book with my name on the cover. I dreamed and imagined and wished…for the day when I’d hear the magic words, Here’s your contract! And the waiting would be over. Yeah, I hear you laughing. Hey, we were all naïve…
Read MoreThe Difference Between Romance & Women’s Fiction
I’ve been thinking about this lately, because I’ve written a women’s fiction that is in with an editor now (cross your fingers for me!). I’m very familiar with the subject, because I helped to found the Women’s Fiction Writers Assn. I’ve also published 11 romances. My first book, The Sweet Spot, I wrote as Women’s…
Read MoreBuilding a Writing Routine
rou·tine /ro͞oˈtēn/ performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special reason. Note, I didn’t use the term, ‘habit’. A habit is an impulse to do a behavior with little or no conscious thought. Not doing a habit feels uncomfortable, like not washing your hands after using the toilet or not flossing…
Read MoreRandom Recommendations for Writers
You know when you tell your friends about the latest life hack you discovered? This is the writer equivalent. The coolest, bestest stuff I can’t live without. And no, no one paid me for an endorsement – these are things I believe in. Blogs & Info: The Passive Voice – ‘a lawyer’s thoughts on authors,…
Read MoreOptions to Stay Organized
I am a naturally organized person. Before I married the Chaos of the Universe, I used to be able to find anything I owned in the dark! My bookshelves are by author, then title order, and my counters are clutter-free. I don’t get credit for the skill – I came in with it. But I…
Read MoreThe Edit That May Kill You – and Why to Soldier On
I’m writing a women’s fiction. Again. I’m glad I haven’t kept track of how many times I’ve rewritten this one and I’m not looking it up. because I’m not a masochist. I wrote it the first time. I loved it. My agent loved it. Editors? They loved the story and the secondary character, but not…
Read MoreWhy NOT you?
Okay, no whining in this one. Yes, I know this writing thing is hard. We spend years and sometimes decades pouring ourselves into stories. You sweat, edit, cut and sweat some more. And in the end, there’s no guarantee that an agent or editor is going to want it. Indie? Readers may not like it…
Read MoreWriting Routines for the New Year
I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe because, though I’ve made a ton of them, I have never kept one. I mean, saying I’m going to do something doesn’t get it done, right? I’m more a fan of changing my routine to accommodate a lifestyle change. I’m not sure I’m a good example…
Read MoreBackstory – Done Right
Okay, I’m finally digging myself out of the butt-high pile of boxes – I should be back with a regular blog next week. In the meantime, here’s another edition of The Write Stuff: What do you think? Can you give us an example of backstory done right from a book or a movie?
Read More