During a number of interviews, I’ve been asked how I came up with the title of The Clock Strikes Midnight. As I work on my new book, I wonder about this question. Actually I wonder about the bigger question. How do authors come up with their titles #writingtips #titles Click To Tweet I can share […]
Where do writers get their character’s names?
Writers not only create characters with special personalities and traits, they must also name them. Think about how hard it was to name your child or your cat? Imagine the process of coming up with the perfect name for your characters. I’ve learned a few things about naming that I thought I’d share. For all […]
7 Deadly Sins That Writers Commit
Writers often do things that drive readers mad. They tend to forget what readers want #writingtips Click To Tweet They tend to write from the vantage point of their computers without thinking about the very human person savoring every word. Let’s look at what I call the 7 Deadly Sins that Writers Commit: Deadly sin […]
Writing Tips–What Tense Do You Write in?
As writers, one of the decisions we all must make is what tense to use #writingtips Click To Tweet Past or present. Most writer guides suggest that new writers use the past tense. Why? Writing in the past is the best way to tell a story #writingtips Click To Tweet Most stories do not happen […]
Tips to Aspiring Writers–Video Clip
In this video Joan shares some advice to aspiring writers. She says that if you really want to write and you enjoy the process of writing, then do it, no matter what. If you have to force yourself to write, if you look for excuses not to write, then maybe you should explore another career. […]
Calling all Mystery Readers! Do You Try to Solve the Mystery Puzzle?
I was talking with a colleague the other day about books. This is something I do quite often. I said, “Even though I figured out who did it, the book was still good.” She responded, “I never try and solve the mystery.” That made me wonder. Do most mystery readers try to solve the mystery […]
A Title That Says It all–#MeBeforeYou
I just finished reading #MeBeforeYou and was enthralled @jojomoyes Click To Tweet The book captured me with it’s simplicity and depth. As a writer I learn the most from reading. Fiction writers who don’t read fiction have no business writing novels #writingtips Click To Tweet Indeed, we all learn from each other. My last post […]
Tips from the First Sentence in The Girl on the Train
As a writer, I not only read books, all kinds of books, but I also learn from them. At times I’m unaware of the learning, but some books are so full of beautiful writing, that I find I’m marking page after page (or highlighting, depending on your reading medium). I found The Girl on the […]
What The Girl on the Train Teaches Us about Characterization
Having just finished The Girl on the Train, I wanted to share some tips about characterization. Paula Hawkins did an excellent job of creating three distinct characters, each with a voice of her own. Let’s see what we can learn from this best-selling author” @paulahwrites Click To Tweet Hawkins writes with an alternating point of […]
Chatting on Twitter about Books and More #Scribechat
Last week I hosted my first Twitter Chat. It was a new experience for me. Several people joined the chat and shared their views and questions. In a fast and furious hour, we talked about The Clock Strikes Midnight–the theme, title, characters and the road to publication. We also talked about writing habits. I learned […]
