Writing is the Best Job Ever! Where else can you show up to your desk for work in your comfortable robe and slippers? No commute, no bossy co-workers, no meetings. Writing is a great excuse to get out of social obligations -"I'm working on deadline"- and the perfect write-off for visiting, uh-researching, areas of interest. You are […]

  I'll admit to being 'adverb adverse'. It’s one of my reading pet peeves  I’m reading along, immersed in the story when I start to notice them. And once I do, every one becomes a drop of water on my forehead, drip, drip, dripping until I want to heave the book.  They irritate me enough […]

Margie Lawson THANK YOU to all the uber-talented and uber-fun WITS gals for inviting me to guest blog again! Ready for some fun? Margie’s Rule #5: If the Hyphenated-Run-On Fits… If you’re a Margie-grad, you know I love well written hyphenated-run-ons. That’s my term for stringing three or more words together with hyphens. They give […]

We decided to have a bit of fun on this first day of September (right after hyperventilating that we're already in September) and issue a friendly 9-1 flavored writing challenge. Here’s how it works: Go to your work in progress or upcoming release or recent release. Pick the 9th paragraph of chapter 1 OR the […]

Some brilliant authors I know began a blog some time ago, called Book Pregnant, to document their travels (and travails) as their first books were born into the world. They’ve moved on to other things, but if you’ve just made your first sale (or published on your own for the first time), the wisdom is […]