Opening Lines for Picture Books
First lines make a promise. From “Call me Ishmael” (Moby Dick, Herman Melville, 1851) to “Happy families are all alike; every…
September 8, 2022First lines make a promise. From “Call me Ishmael” (Moby Dick, Herman Melville, 1851) to “Happy families are all alike; every…
September 8, 2022Hey guys, I wanted to kick this whole thing off by welcoming you to the ranks. (Though I’m sure…
July 23, 2017Opinions. Opinions. More opinions float through a person’s mind in the course of a day than Aristotle has twelve-letter…
July 14, 2017I am a binge writer. I always have been, and I probably always will be. What is a binge writer you…
July 3, 2017I’ve been part of the publishing industry for many years, but today is a dream come true for me.…
November 4, 2016The murmur of countless alien tongues subsided as the chairman of the interstellar council called for order. The delegates…
October 11, 2016As Tatooine’s twin suns slowly inch to the sand dunes in the horizon, a lone figure strains his eyes…
September 11, 2016For most writers, our passion to write was birthed from a passion to read. We grew up immersed in…
March 10, 2016When writing a speculative fiction novel, determine what the things of value are in your world. Water, food, shelter-building resources,…
February 7, 2016You’ve finally got your novel all polished up and ready to submit to a publisher. How is this done?…
November 22, 2015The people in your world need governance. I’m sorry. I wish I could make it untrue, but a believable…
September 5, 2015How many of you are reading this article under protest? “I don’t write romances,” you say. Well, you might…
August 28, 2015What is it about a story that makes it compelling? Is it the characters? Is it the plot? Is…
August 17, 2015I used to write for VeggieTales, and if you’re familiar with the antics of Bob the Tomato and Larry…
August 6, 2015Last month we looked at writing fictitious, sentient creatures within our own universe. In summary, God has a plan…
August 4, 2015We’ve all been there. Deadlines are looming for our blog or our novels. A tingling in the pit of…
July 22, 2015When you write dialogue, think like a screenwriter. Every minute of screen time, every word counts. Don’t add fluff. …
July 10, 2015Atheists believe all creatures evolved over countless millennia of bloodshed, allowing only the fittest members of a species to…
July 3, 2015I’ve often pondered why I write, and what does it mean to be a writer. Sometimes I labor over…
June 25, 2015You’re a lover of books and in you burns a desire which you cannot ignore. You want to write!…
June 23, 2015Everybody wants something. Why do YOU want to write, for example? Maybe you want to write a book for…
June 12, 2015