When it comes to crafting a book, everyone wants something that will have the reader turning the page. While such an achievement requires a combination of factors like a good plot, excellent characters, well-flowing prose, chocolate sacrifices, and the naming rights of your firstborn to the muse (if you're willing to go that far), you …
I usually like my first blog for a new year to be all about resolutions, but after the year that was 2020, and with 2021 shaping up to be more of the same, making resolutions or plans is a moot point (or a cow's opinion—a reference for anyone who spent a good chunk of lockdown …
Ah, point of view (POV), a writing essential to include in your book but something that you can get so easily wrong. It doesn't take much to slip from the view of the character who is telling your story, and you might not even notice you've done it. That's where the following advice comes in …
Continue reading Point Of View Errors! How To Spot And Fix Them
Welcome to the November 2020 roundup! Here we are at the end of November, which seems crazy considering 2020 has felt like it's dragged on for 5 years. In Melbourne, a lot of our stage 4 restrictions have eased, including traveling further from home and no longer having to wear masks outdoors if we can …
While a great storyline and an intense setting can make for an excellent read, what really creates a great book is awesome characters. After all, how many pages have you kept turning just to see what happens to the MC? Getting your reader to care about your characters is a task every writer should aim …
If the thought of rising early to write has you automatically hitting the snooze button, you’re not alone. I once balked at getting up before the sun to pursue my literary dreams. I’d much rather stay warm, wrapped up in blankets than trudge to my writing desk, and work on something bleary-eyed. But then things …
If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, you'll find the content of this new blog post familiar. Since July 2019, I've been keeping subscribers up-to-date on my writing journey, what I've been reading, watching, taking photos of, and writing tips. In order to keep writing without burning out, though, I've made the decision to close …
Unless you're a super-organized planner who stuck to your writing outline religiously, there will come a point during editing when you'll re-read a scene and have to make sure it includes everything you wanted. This is my dilemma as I work on my current work in progress. I wrote the draft back in 2017, so …
By the time you're at the tail-end of the writing process, you are so sick of your words you'll do anything to not read them again. This usually happens right around the time you have to read them, though, because you're getting your MS ready to query or publish. But instead of begrudgingly wading through …
