I was at a Bouchercon some years ago and did a panel with some other thriller authors. Before it began we were interacting with some people in the audience, and a woman in the front row made a funny comment about something I said, and I replied into the mike, “I’ll do the jokes, madam.” We all … [Read more...] about Using a Novel Journal for Writing Breakthroughs
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The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma
Understanding the Psychological Impact of a Character’s Past Pain Readers connect to characters with depth, ones that have experienced life’s ups and downs. To bring realistic, compelling characters to the page, writers must know them intimately—not only who they are in the present story, but … [Read more...] about The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma
Character Motivation: Entering a Competition and Winning It
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Character Motivation: Entering a Competition and Winning It
Struggling with (and Regaining) Confidence in Your Writing
Every writer’s toolbox is unique, containing the techniques, reference books, personal library, and lessons or “best practices” we’ve acquired over time. But there’s one tool that all writers need despite their target audience, genre, or years of experience. It’s just as important as talent, … [Read more...] about Struggling with (and Regaining) Confidence in Your Writing
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Carrying on a Legacy
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Carrying on a Legacy
Motivation Thesaurus: Helping a Loved One Who’s Hurting Themselves
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Motivation Thesaurus: Helping a Loved One Who’s Hurting Themselves
Six Smart Ways Indie Authors Can Collaborate When Marketing
The control and freedom indie authors have can be a big asset when it comes to marketing. The problem is time. Shouldering the weight of writing, editing, researching, publishing, marketing, and promoting alone can be exhausting, especially knowing our industry is growing more crowded and … [Read more...] about Six Smart Ways Indie Authors Can Collaborate When Marketing
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Escaping Certain Death
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Escaping Certain Death
One Simple Technique to Improve Your Writing in 10 Minutes a Day
Summer is a glorious time, isn't it? Drinks on the deck, barbecues, hiking, travel, maybe a day (or three!) at the lake...it's like a reward for working our butts off all year around. But, with more things competing for our time during these summer months, it can be tempting to put writing off. … [Read more...] about One Simple Technique to Improve Your Writing in 10 Minutes a Day
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Finding Friendship or Companionship
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Finding Friendship or Companionship
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment
Angela Looks Back: Why We Must Invest If We Want a Writing Career
One thing I am terrible at is taking the time to glance back. You know, pause and think about how far I've come on this writing journey of mine. Usually my gaze is fixed ahead on whatever is next and figuring out how to juggle the load. But today I want to take a minute to do this because there are … [Read more...] about Angela Looks Back: Why We Must Invest If We Want a Writing Career