Writing for YA
Interview with Author Judy Christie: Writing Across Genres
Sometimes writers have a hard time sticking to one genre. I’d thought I see what Judy Christie had to…
October 27, 2019-
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Romancing Your StoryWhy Are They Attracted To Each Other?
In my last column, I wrote about the first meeting. Now that your characters have met, the first blush…
October 23, 2019 -
History in the MakingIs This Story Historical?
As a writer, I like to continue writing flash fiction or short stories while working on a novel. My…
October 20, 2019 -
Mystery/Thriller/SuspenseMarket Trends: Is the Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Genre Alive and Well?
Should I worry about trends? Do I write what I want and hope it sells? Is the mystery, suspense,…
October 17, 2019 -
Mastering Middle GradeYou Wrote a Middle Grade Book. Now What?
You had an idea. You wrote. You slept. You wrote some more. You edited. You cried. (Just me? Oh.…
October 16, 2019 -
Fantasy-Sci-Fi, UncategorizedUnlocking Science Fiction, the Secret You Need to Know
There’s something about a good sci-fi story that pulls me in and doesn’t let me go. In those moments,…
October 7, 2019 -
ScreenwritingWhat Scares Me
Recently my best friend contacted me about having a guys’ night out. He said he wanted to go see…
October 4, 2019 -
Writing for YA
Interview with Watty Award Winner Brian McBride: Using Wattpad to Build Your Audience
Today I’m talking with Young Adult author Brian McBride. I wanted to know more about Wattpad. DJS: Your book…
September 27, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
“Setting” the Romance
What do you think about when you think of romance? Oh sure, there are the typical things like boy…
September 23, 2019 -
Kids LitThree Tips for Successful Platform Building
If you’ve been to any writers conference lately, you’ve no doubt heard lots of talk about building a platform.…
September 21, 2019 -
History in the Making
The Epistolary Novel Form
The popularity of this literary device dropped off prior to the turn of the nineteenth century, but its recent…
September 20, 2019 -
Devotional/Christian LivingHow to Write Christmas Devotionals All Year Long
I don’t normally get into the Christmas spirit until after Thanksgiving, but as a Christian Living or Devotional author,…
September 19, 2019 -
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Body Language in Writing
Everyone uses body language in one way or another. Talking with a friend, in a business meeting, or at…
September 17, 2019 -
Mastering Middle Grade
My Fall TBR List
I may ruffle a few feathers here, but my favorite thing about fall is NOT pumpkin spice. My favorite…
September 16, 2019 -
Magazine and FreelanceWhat Oscar Mayer Wieners Have to Do with Style
One of the joys (and frustrations) of the English language is how it ebbs, flows, and changes. Unlike dead…
September 14, 2019 -
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Slow Build of Believability
Most of us have probably been told to “plunge your main character into terrible trouble as quickly as possible.”…
September 7, 2019 -
Screenwriting
Treatments
Now that summer is coming to an end, I feel it’s time to get serious about the business of…
September 4, 2019 -
Writing for YA
The Path to Publication: Interview with Agent and Author Hope Bolinger
Today I am talking with Hope Bolinger. She’s an author of young adult novels as well as a literary…
August 27, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Writing a Strong Heroine
Editors often say they’re looking for stories with “strong female characters.” Many writers take that to mean the heroine…
August 23, 2019 -
Kids Lit
“B.I.C. Time”
Whenever I teach at conferences, I’m often asked the same question: “How do you write so many books a…
August 21, 2019 -
History in the Making
A GLIMPSE OF EARLY TELEVISION
The youngster thought it her privilege to pick the name for her soon-to-be-born sibling. She gleefully and toothlessly spit…
August 20, 2019 -
Devotional/Christian Living
9 Hot Topics to Write About in 2019 for Christian Living and Devotional Writers
The first book proposal I wanted to send out to publishers was on the book of Revelation. My agent…
August 19, 2019 -
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Pacing: The Tortoise or the Hare?
What’s the secret to creating a book worthy of catching an agent’s eye? Worthy of turning an acquisition editor’s…
August 17, 2019 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Doing the Next Right Thing
Once upon a time, during what feels like another lifetime ago, I took my masters’ of science in documentary…
August 16, 2019 -
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
The Beginner’s Guide to Props – Using Them to Show Character
You know the phrase, all an actor needs is an empty room and a script? I’ve heard that idea…
August 7, 2019
