Having finished Act I of my current work in progress, I stared at the opening of Act II. What should happen now? It’d been a while since I’d written a fresh novel, and my brain felt a little rusty on story structure.… Read the post
As I write this article, I’m halfway through my developmental editor’s comments on my manuscript and making the necessary changes to help this book shine. That sounds like a great endeavor, right?
In actuality, it’s a grueling task that makes me wonder, once again, if being a toll booth operator would be more rewarding than this job.… Read the post
Why is it so $#%*! hard to write the opening of a novel?
Maybe you stare at the blank page wondering where to begin, how to best introduce your characters, or what will make the best hook to keep readers turning pages.… Read the post
I’ve got more than 10 full manuscripts under my belt and several short stories as well. While none has been a breeze, some have come easier than others. I recently got to wondering which book was the hardest to write.… Read the post
Whether the manuscript is a historical romance, an urban fantasy, or a contemporary teen novel, I've learned to expect certain errors when copyediting. They are so common and understandable that they appear in most manuscripts—including my own.
It's a good idea for writers to look for these mistakes themselves, before handing the manuscript over to a copyeditor.… Read the post
