-
How Many Genres Do You Write?
How many genres do I write. Three. I am a multi-genre author. That wasn’t always the plan. When I was a child beginning my writing journey, I dreamed of becoming a famous novelist. …
-
Have You Ever Scrapped a Work in Progress?
Have I ever scrapped a work in progress? The answer is “yes.” When I was a teen and young adult, I wrote dozens of novels I never published. However, if you’re referring to…
-
How Much Research Do You Do for Your Novels?
The amount of research I conduct for my novels varies considerably, but as an author of historical fiction, research is vital. As the History Quill puts it, “One of the trickiest aspects of…
-
Developing My Latest Work in Progress
How did I get the idea for my latest work in progress? Well, it depends on which one you’re referring to. I have several. In 2022, I will launch three historical fiction novellas,…
-
How to Create Fictional Characters
Without characters you don’t have a story. So how do authors develop them? There are many different methods. For this blog, I’m sharing some tips from writing experts. Novel Writing Help cautions against…
-
Are My Characters Based on Real People?
Are my characters based on real people? The quick answer to this is “no.” However, it’s a bit more complicated than that. While none of my characters are based directly on someone, several…
-
How to Organize Story Ideas
Are you a writer having problems organizing story ideas? If so, you’re not alone. As Writer’s Digest puts it, “The desire to write The Great American Novel is like an overactive beast that…
-
Do You Have a Love-Hate Relationship With Your Characters?
Is it possible for an author to have a love-hate relationship with her fictional characters? Merriam-Webster defines a love-hate relationship as “strong feelings of both love and hatred for someone.” The website Love…
-
Establishing a Writing Routine: My Best Tips
Establishing a writing routine can be a challenge for many newer writers. There’s plenty of advice out there on how to establish a routine, so I decided to compile a list of the…
-
Self Publishing, Traditional Publishing or a Combination?
For many authors, deciding how to publish is a difficult decision. Should they go with a traditional publisher? Go it alone and become an indie author? Or publishing using a combination of the…
-
My Writing Strength: Snappy Dialogue
Writers often are asked, “What is your strength? Narrative or dialogue?” That’s an easy question for me to answer. My writing strength is dialogue. My characters’ dialogue rarely changes between the rough draft…
-
My First Novel: Katherine and Leeann
Angel of Mercy is the first novel I published, but it is not the first novel I wrote. In the last blog, I introduced you to my early, unpublished work. Most of it…
