2 days agoMember-onlyDigital or Paper Planners?Which type of planner is best? — The last time I wrote about planners was in January, and it was about the benefits of making them beautiful. There is true joy in creating a weekly plan using color and stickers. It takes a little longer to plan for the week or the quarter, but the time is…Planner5 min readPlanner5 min read
May 15Member-onlyFree Resources for AuthorsWhere to go for free and honest book reviews — One of the most challenging parts of being an author comes after the book is finished. Marketing and promotion are necessary, yet most authors have zero marketing experience. Nevertheless, they are expected to know what to do to promote their book. …Book Review5 min readBook Review5 min read
May 8Member-onlyWrite a Novel That Has Something to SayUnderstand what your story is about and share it with your readers — I have been asked in interviews who my favorite authors are, and I never know what to say. I love so many authors, and it depends on the genre. It also depends on if the interviewer means modern writers or the greats who wrote classical literature. I love different writers…Storytelling6 min readStorytelling6 min read
Apr 27Member-onlyLocation, location, location — Pay Attention to Your SettingsMake Your Settings Come Alive — One of the joys of reading is being transported by the author to a new place. I love to travel, and before I had children and way too many bills, I used to travel a lot. London over Thanksgiving break, Alaska to run a marathon in the summer, and South…Settings7 min readSettings7 min read
Apr 25Member-onlyGetting Value From BloggingAnd providing value for your reader — Mostly, I focus on fiction writing. It’s what I know best since that is what I write. But, after almost two years of blogging on Medium, I can share some real impressions and thoughts. First, what is the purpose of blogging? Back in the early 2000s when I had my…Blogging6 min readBlogging6 min read
Apr 19Member-onlyHow to Turn Off Your Internal EditorTapping into Your Creativity — Sometimes the backspace key is my favorite and most used key on my keyboard. I type a word, don’t like it, and backspace to get rid of it. I try again. Still not right. Again and again, I attempt to get that word just right. Finally, I locate the perfect…Editing6 min readEditing6 min read
Apr 15Member-onlySeven Ways to Be More Creative When Writing Your NovelTapping into Your Creativity — Where does creativity come from? How do you make it show up when you need it to? We have probably all had those experiences where we struggle to figure something out with our stories or even in real life, and we can’t think of the solution. But when we least…Creativity7 min readCreativity7 min read
Apr 11Member-onlyWhile You Are WritingHow to Fund Your Writing Dream — Years ago, I attended a conference in Miami. I was invited by another author who decided to gather a group of Latina writers and hold a conference. During lunch on a gorgeous hotel patio overlooking the ocean, authors performed a few readings, and I chose not to. Nely Galan, former…Writing Life6 min readWriting Life6 min read
Apr 8Member-onlyWrite Page-Turning Women’s FictionWhat it takes to write great Women’s Fiction — Are you interested in writing within the women’s fiction genre? Do you know what women’s fiction is? Recently, I was invited to and spoke at a Kiwanis club about women’s fiction (it was Women’s History Month) and found that many people equated it with romance. Women’s fiction can have romantic…Womens Fiction5 min readWomens Fiction5 min read
Apr 5Member-onlyHow to Make the Most of Found TimeMaking major progress on your writing project — Today I’m snowed in! I couldn’t leave the house if I wanted to. We got about a foot of snow last night, and today the weather experts warn of high winds and blizzard conditions. My university is closed, and probably most businesses are closed as well. …Writing Progress6 min readWriting Progress6 min read