It’s easy to hope that your beloved book will get five out of five stars from everyone who reads it. A rating of less than five stars can feel like a bit of an emotional blow, but it’s not all bad. Browsers on Amazon and elsewhere may be suspicious of books that have all five star reviews. They assume it’s mostly the writer’s friends and relatives or paid reviewers. Thus, a four-star review is terrific because it lends authenticity to … Read More »

The tug of commitment to work, family, and future goals is relentless. We set boundaries or rules for ourselves to protect our writing time, but still watch that time fritter away when other tasks pop up that demand, or distract, our attention. Here are five strategies to keep your writing time intact. Change Your Mindset One of the greatest things we can do as writers is value our desire, and sometimes need, to write. Sit quietly for fifteen minutes without … Read More »

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, its annual rites pointing us to the coming Spring, that glorious season when birds sing and bees hum, amorous glances are exchanged, and love and romance lilt delicately in the air. Wait a second. Let’s think about the word “romance.” As analytical writers consumed with the meanings of words, why do we call things about love romantic? Like most good stories, it’s an unusual, twisty tale. The secret is in the root of the … Read More »

I am an introvert. Yes, I love people, love social gatherings, and we entertain frequently. But being an introvert means that in order to recharge my energy, I seek out solitude and quiet; unlike extroverts, who recharge their energy reserves by being surrounded by people and activity. I am also a lone-wolf sort. I would rather work alone than with a group. I was that kid in school who hated group projects. I preferred do it all myself, so I … Read More »

“Great ideas fly through the universe all the time. Stand still long enough and one of them will hit you.” That was Isaac Asimov’s answer to the question of where he got his fantastic story ideas. At least that is what fellow science fiction writer Ben Bova said of Asimov, scientist and famed author of nearly 500 books, many in the genre of science fiction. Of course, the universe is rife with great ideas! But to catch a great idea, … Read More »

Books on writing often tell the author to find inspiration for stories in the world around her, in the everyday events of her own life. Read a juicy story on the net about a crime? There’s your next mystery! Got a friend who, widowed, rediscovers her high school sweetheart on Facebook and marries him before she goes in for cancer surgery? (I actually do.) The seed for a romance! But all the events of our lives take place today. What … Read More »