As a writer, I’m always thinking about my characters. What can they do to move the story along? Who are their friends? What passions do they have? Where do they like to go? What music do they listen to? Much of what I know about my character, I do not share with the reader. If […]
3 Tips for Writing a Series
Many of today’s writers write series books with recurring characters. Sue Grafton probably takes the prize for the most books with the same character with her alphabet mystery series starring Kinsey Milhone. Typical readers breeze through these books, enjoying the stories and feeling very comfortable with the characters. Those characters that reappear become the readers’ […]
7 Tips for Writing Great Dialogue
I’ve blogged on dialogue before, but because dialogue is so important to good fiction-writing, I decided to revisit the topic. Before we look at the seven tips, let’s talk about what great dialogue is and what it isn’t #amwriting Click To Tweet First, great dialogue flows seamlessly. If the reader has to go back to […]
Dogs Teach Writers How to Reveal Emotions
Recently I read a short article discussing the way dogs read people #amwriting Click To Tweet They seem to understand their owners emotions. According to the research dogs and humans are the only species able to do this. I know my dog can read my emotions. I’ve known that for a long time. I also […]
Do Readers Make Good Writers?
I always thought that because I loved to read and read a lot, I knew what good writing was. And, I suppose I assumed that reading taught me about writing. In some ways, it does. Reading puts good language into our subconscious. It’s like listening to and reading a new language. But does the process […]
What Kind of Characters Do You Prefer?
Recently several books hit the best seller list that have despicable characters. Readers say, “I didn’t like anyone and I couldn’t care less what happened to the people in the story.” My question to readers is what kind of characters do you prefer #amreading Click To Tweet In thinking about this, I began reflecting on […]
Tips for Starting a New Novel
I recently started a new novel. I began with a germ of an idea and it has grown and emerged since. Because we all write in different ways, I thought I’d share some of my tips for starting a new novel and ask my writer friends to add a few of theirs. Working on a […]
Tips on How Not to Let Others Squelch Your Creativity
Recently I heard someone say, “I tried to write a novel, but when my wife read it, she said…” Usually a negative comment from a loved one or a friend, will squelch our creativity in an instant #amwriting #creativity Click To Tweet Quicker than my foot will squelch a bug. As artists, whether literary artists […]
Tips Josephine Tey Teaches #Mystery Writers
Josephine Tey was a brilliant mystery writer #amwriting #writingtips #mystery Click To Tweet She wrote in the 1930’s and 1950’s. Her books followed no set formula, and I’d say she might have been one of the first pantser writers. Those outliners who put us pantsers down might take a long look at a writer like […]
Conversations with Alice Walker
Recently I had the pleasure of seeing Alice Walker in person #amreadig @alicewalker1944 Click To Tweet The great Pulitzer Prize winning author talked about herself, her writing and her passion. As the author of The Color Purple, she attracted people of all colors, sizes, shapes and backgrounds to hear her. In fact, the tickets sold […]
