You're working on your latest manuscript, or polishing the story idea you want to blaze into Word Glory during NaNoWriMo. This is your masterpiece. The story that will grab your reader and pull him into your world and through the story with you. It. Has. To. Be. Perfect. No pressure. We’re not here to give you […]

Now and then, I meet a multi-published, award-winning author whom I haven’t read before and ask, “Which book of yours should I read first?” They rarely suggest their debut book. Quite often, they’ll say something like, “My first books were okay, but I really hit my stride with [fabulous book title].” If they suggest the […]

For those of you who have followed my posts over the years, you know I joke a lot about being queen of the troll introverts. I’m happy in my writing cave, it’s comfy there. I have my espresso machine and my fat cats for company. And I have awesome WiFi which means I can chat […]

Angela Ackerman Writers are encouraged to dig into their hero or heroine’s past to understand what factors (including wounding events) are steering their behavior and motivation in the story. By doing this we can ensure our protagonist’s goal aligns with the unmet need driving them, tailor challenges that will force them to face specific fears, […]

Dawn Ius I’m going to let you in on a little secret—I didn’t land my agent from a slush pile. Mandy Hubbard—founder of Emerald City Literary Agency and affectionately known by me as Agent Awesome—never read a single sentence of a query from me. No full manuscript. No verbal pitch at a conference. No gushing […]