by Lori Freeland

Writers are unique and diverse creatures. We’re mysterious and unpredictable and original. That’s part of what makes us . . . us. And that’s a good thing. There are as many types of authors out there as there are genres to write in.… Read the post

by Lori Freeland

A writer’s blank page is like an artist’s empty canvas. It takes a lot of work to get from here—

—to here.

An artist doesn’t create a masterpiece in one sitting with a single layer of paint. He has to use several layers, sometimes letting each one dry in between.… Read the post

By Lori Freeland

Edits. Suggestions. Comments. Recommendations. Advice. Assessment. Evaluation. Feedback. Constructive Criticism. Not-so-constructive criticism. A knife twisted into your gut that burns like a thousand suns and leaves you bleeding out and crying in a corner.

No matter what you want to label it, all those things mean the same thing—what other people have to say about what you have written.… Read the post

by Lori Freeland

What does it mean to tell your story forward? Whatever point you choose to drop the reader into your story, start there and move each scene forward in chronological order. The idea sounds simple, but it’s easy to think we’re doing it when we’re really not.… Read the post

by Lori Freeland

Pitch out Visuals? Pass on Variety? Personalization of Villains? People of Value? Just what is POV, and why do you care?

Understanding POV

Point of View (POV) refers to the character telling the story in a particular scene or chapter of your book.… Read the post