Every writer hits a brick wall now and then. You can’t move forward and there’s no going back. You can sit there, wailing at the ceiling, tearing at your hair, and gnashing your teeth, but chances are it’s not going to get you moving anytime soon. What do I do when it happens to me? I write. Wait. Didn’t I just say I was writing and got stuck? And then I said the solution was to write? Right! Here’s how … Read More »

What are writers but actors who get to play all the parts? And the most basic tenet of actors and writers? Become your character. Literally millions of us have playacted and beyond that, had some brush with the art of drama in a more structured form. Millions of us learn our languages, learn to communicate in written form, learn to write in the voice of our perceived or imagined selves, someone historical, famous, infamous, or completely made up. As writers … Read More »

The middle-grade mystery that began its life as a tiny glimmer of an idea is finally done (I’m pretty sure). You know how it goes – just one more tweak here, change a word there. But at this point, I’m hitting the ‘save’ button one last time and calling it done. Now, what do I do with those great scenes that didn’t make the cut and the ideas that are still swirling around in my head? I’m considering a series … Read More »

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. That time when the writer hat(s) comes off, and is replaced by marketing headgear of some sort. I wore lots of fun, functional hats while writing in the world of Maggie and crew:  bobble hat, baseball cap, hoodie (is that considered a hat?), crash helmet, and a deerstalker, to name a few. They were useful, fun, and I could switch them up as often as I wanted, or needed to. Now, it’s … Read More »

A scene’s ending should leave the reader with more information about the plot than he had when the scene began. But it should also leave the reader wanting more. Tall order! How can this be done successfully? A scene must be a conclusion—to a conversation or a date, perhaps. Maybe the scene ends a life or a job—something life-changing—and the MC has to ask himself where he goes from there.   Or, perhaps, the ending of the scene is unresolved—a … Read More »

Recently in an online writers’ group I follow, an author posted about a bad experience she’d had with a publisher to warn others. Writers were grateful for the warning, but a couple commenters piped up saying that the publisher’s reputation had been well known for years and encouraged writers to educate themselves before signing up with any company. No one wants to fall for a scam that wastes money and precious time and doesn’t yield results. Yes, educate yourself. Great … Read More »