The “Rules”

Years ago when I completed my first “professional” novel, I anxiously scoured the internet to find out how to get it published. I got a lot of advice, from split it into two books to put it on scented paper to get an editor’s attention. Seven years on, I have learned a lot, not the [...]

Good Writing – Does it Supersede Genre?

Most readers have their favorite genre, be it romance or mystery or sci fi or…whatever. But I think most of us have crossed the line at some point and found a book we absolutely love in a genre we never read. For example, I read a lot of non-fiction and mystery as a kid, but [...]

Chapter One

Start where the trouble starts. That’s a simple rule of writing -or, I should say, it sounds simple. The first scene in a book is always the most difficult to bash into shape. You have about a paragraph to get the reader hooked. In fact, most of the time, you have one line, so it [...]

Is There a Book in You?

It’s funny how the real life me and the writer me are colliding. Twice this weekend I was involved in conversations where writing came up. I’ve known these people for years, and neither is a writer, but somehow when I walk into a room nowadays, everyone feels compelled to tell me they’ve thought about writing [...]

When to Say Goodbye

I have fallen in love with several series over the years, both books and TV. Heck, even a few movie series, too.  But what happens when that series starts to disappoint?
There have been a few that jumped the shark for me. Sometimes the characters don’t grow and mature, sometimes it’s evident that the people behind [...]

A Heads Up on Head Hopping

Head hopping. If you say those words in a group of writers – particularly if they all write in different genres – be prepared for a bumpy ride. Everyone has an opinion, and no two are alike.
First off, for those of you not blessed with the trial-by-fire education I recieved on the subject, let me [...]