Every year, after reading and talking to my "source authorities," I write a post about what changes to look for in the coming months. I had decided to eschew tradition this year. Until I began experiencing what they were talking about. (Here's a post I wrote on using change to enhance your writing.) In case you […]

Aimie K. Runyan Three years ago when I sat down to begin plotting my novel, Promised to the Crown, I knew I had a huge task in front of me. I was dealing with an era most readers would only have a cursory knowledge of, and a series of events they would probably not be […]

 Stephen King reflected on the magnitude of a novel’s first line. “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story,” he said. “It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.” Preach it, Steve. I’m not saying a killer first line will get you an agent, get your book […]

Whether you make New Year resolutions or set goals, January is the perfect time to look forward. Over the last few years, I’ve been doing something a tad different. I think of one word that will guide me for the year. And then I make sure that what I take on meshes with my guiding […]

Every writer, whether they're starting the journey or standing atop the bestseller lists, feels like a hack at some point. Like an imposter, a phony, a gigantic fakeball loser. It might happen once a month or once an hour. The point is, it will happen. If Woody Allen is correct and “80% of success is showing up,” the […]