Keep learning and sharpening your writing skills — Here I am, at almost 9pm trying to think of a blog topic for tomorrow’s blog post. I’m asking myself what I’d like to share with writers, what tips or advice might be helpful. But instead, all I can come up with is sharing my experience at a used bookstore. …

What would you give to talk to a future version of yourself? Last month, I attended an event where my novel This Is Now won first place in the Book Buyer’s Best contest. Winning the award was awesome! But being among other writers, listening to speakers talk about writing, having…

Getting it all done — At this time of year, life is hectic for me. I’m nearing the end of a semester at the university where I work. The holiday season is here bringing all the activity and excitement that can be super stressful too. I’m editing my current novel for the 3rd time before…

Stories form and change us in ways that help us grow — Novelists, short story writers, and poets all know instinctively that storytelling is valuable to both the writer and the reader. I don’t think it’s absurd to say that civilization would not exist without storytellers. In ancient times, the way culture and history were passed on to other generations was by…

The importance of great hooks in selling your stories to editors and readers — What makes you choose and read a book? Often the initial premise piques a reader’s interest. The story, the plot, the “issue” sounds promising, and the reader wants to read more. What makes you keep reading until the end? Well, the same thing. The writer has created continued interest, raised…

Set yourself up to win — Don’t you wish that someone could give you a list, a recipe, or a formula about how to succeed as a writer? When I was a new writer, I used to think that if someone just told me what to do, I’d do it and I’d become a successful, published…

Powerful endings that readers love — Back when I published my first novel, I learned a horrifying truth . . . I’d have to go out in public and talk about my book. I hated to speak in public and was terrified that I wouldn’t know what to say and would make a fool of myself. …

How to believe in your writing abilities I’m confident in my writing abilities. I can tell a story. And I can do it well. That’s where my confidence ends. Doubt creeps in with thoughts like, is it good enough, will anyone like it, will I be able to sell and…

Can using a pseudonym be a good idea? — Back when I was a new elementary school teacher, and I first received the news that my first novel would be published, I had an irrational fear that I’d sit down with a parent during parent/teacher conferences and my student’s mother would say, “Oh, I read your book. I can’t…