All of us are creative beings. We thrive on inspiration, deep emotions, and messages from our subconscious to get writing. But, as writers, we also have to practice good self-care to ensure we aren’t burnt out. Feeling stressed, depressed, or drained will not help you. I decided to write this blog after realizing it took me a year to process the stresses and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. I barely wrote or read anything during quarantine, which was strong evidence … Read More »

A few weeks ago I attended a national writing conference and listened to a fascinating discussion about character and plot from the perspective of screenwriters. Structure is so important to screenwriters, probably more than it is to prose writers. But, in my opinion, it’s smart for all writers to connect with some of the methods screenwriters use to structure their stories. They see character and plot as one. A plot comes from everything that happens to a character, what he … Read More »

Have you ever read a sentence about food that was so vivid it made you actually taste it? Taste is the most powerful of all senses because we love food. We need it to survive and, as humans, eating brings us pleasure. Describing taste can be so impactful for a reader, yet some authors avoid it because they can’t think of the right words. The truth is it’s really hard. You end up actually using all of your senses to … Read More »

Reviews are a big deal for all authors. Whether they’re publishing with Simon & Schuster or self-publishing a few thousand copies, early reviews can make or break a book’s long-term success. There are exceptions, of course. Novels like For Whom The Bell Tolls, To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Handmaid’s Tale all had bad reviews but went on to be classics. Yet for the overwhelming majority of books, reviews are the key to notoriety and sales. The online review has … Read More »

Star Wars fans aren’t the only ones obsessed with The Mandalorian. The Disney+ series, now in its second season, is five times more popular than any other program on the streaming service. Jon Favreau and his contributing writers have accomplished what no one thought was possible: adapting a brand new Star Wars storyline that is beloved by both old and new fans. This was something the three prequels couldn’t seem to do. Not only did Favreau switch back to the … Read More »

Whether you’re stressed about the quarantine, the state of the world, or you’re exhausted from home schooling small children, it’s hard finding the time to sit down and indulge your artistic side. Maybe you recently lost your job or had your hours cut at work, so now you feel guilty about dedicating a few hours a day to your writing. Instead, you feel compelled to apply for jobs or find new ways to make money. The truth is you aren’t … Read More »