Superheroes have invaded my home. Between my 7-year-old son with Autism, and my 2-year-old who loves anything his brother loves, the Avengers have overtaken our house as their new stronghold. My son refers to his bed as the Heli-carrier, a staging point for the fierce battles that Iron Man, the Hulk, and Captain America wage … More Superheroes Have Invaded My Home: Today’s Reality of Heroes
I started writing this story that planned to be more romance than suspense. As I’ve written further into it, it’s becoming more suspense than romance, but what concerns me the most is this has become darker than I anticipated. I realized my motivations for one of the major turning points wasn’t strong enough. But I … More Darker Side of Writing
The epic battle of writers. Planning it out, or going with the direction of the wind, on a whim. Some believe that plotting everything out first- characters, settings, conflict, climax and ending- destroys true creativity. That it limits where the characters wants to go. Some say ‘pantsing’ it can lead you too astray from where … More Plotter or Pantser
Interesting topic came to mind during a recent chapter revision. It’s probably for the same reason you don’t see many male romance authors out there, simply because most men have no clue how to write a woman character and make it believable. Every little detail: gestures, word choice, slang, as well as what a woman … More How Do Women Write Men?
I think everyone will agree when you’re reading a novel, any genre, if the hero is too perfect- or seemingly flawless- it’s boring. People like to have main characters with flaws. Sometimes even bad streaks. It’s the same thing with writers. When you’re writing a character that seems too nice or perfect, it’s boring. I … More Mr. Perfect or Bad Boy Hero
Every writer, particularly published authors, know that the publishing industry requires a thick skin for anyone who dares enter their dominion. I thought I had a fairly thick skin before I even started querying my first manuscript. *insert cackle laughter here* Now, I know I don’t have nearly as thick of skin as I should, … More Thick Skin For Hire
I started my third manuscript the other week, the one I’m supposed to be saving for NaNoWriMo in November, and have been flying through the first chapters. I’m so excited to be seeing these characters develop on the page and their querky habits come to life. Too much fun! I figured since NaNoWriMo aims for … More Writer’s Block? More Like Writer’s Verbal Diarrhea
Dilemma: Start writing the rough draft of my 3rd novel, or wait until the start of NaNoWriMo in November? If I wait until November, I can participate in my first National Novel Writing Month. It’s a lofty goal of 50,000 words in 1 month. That’s 12,500 words/week. I normally average less than 5K words/week when … More NaNoWriMo: To Wait or Not to Wait?
My writers group just started a new program called Beta Readers Round Table. Five of our members submitted their completed manuscripts to be reviewed by Beta Readers (myself included). Each Beta Reader critiques 2 manuscripts based on content (not line editing). Searching for plot holes, characterization errors, point of view switching, change of tenses, the … More Beta Reading Challenge
I’ve finished plotting my third manuscript over the week. I couldn’t get enough- my brain was flourishing with ideas, even over the hard parts of plotting (like overcoming the climax and how to resolve all the conflicts in the end). It feels fabulous to have these ideas come to a temporary close. I’m sure I … More Plotting Frenzy Over the Week
