This Argentine Folktale Left Me Scratching My Head — Currently, I’m rewriting and editing my next novel. While rewriting one chapter yesterday, I decided that I wanted to include an Argentine folktale. I want the main character to share a folktale, but even though both of my parents are Argentine, I don’t know many folktales. …

Don’t like promotion? Do it this way — In my other life as a college professor, I teach all kinds of writing. I’ve taught basic composition which tends to be mostly various types of essays. I’ve taught creative writing. And I’ve taught and currently teach business writing with the big project being a business proposal. Proposals are fun…

Pets Do Affect Your Writing — This is going to be a quick blog post. My dog is getting dental work done today. Teeth cleaned. Some extractions probably. And I’ve been a nervous wreck all day. I hate leaving her at the vet. I worry that she’s crying and suffering in the cold metal cage where…

Creating the Title That Attracts Your Reader — What is the most important part of your book or article? Well, the title of this article suggests, it is the perfect title. Without a great title that interests readers, potential agents, or editors, your amazing piece of writing might never be read. This fact has always been terrifying to…

Make your writing stronger with concrete rather than abstract details — Often, I share that my weakness is in description. This may make me pay more attention to details, at least during rewrites when I go back to my sparse prose and add specific details. So, I’m grateful that I know where I am lacking. I also tend to pay special…

What You Need to Know About ISBNs — ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, and it identifies your book, categorizes it, and makes it available for booksellers and librarians to purchase it. Every book has a 13-digit ISBN. …

How to Avoid Common Distractions and Resistance Issues — 1. Procrastination: putting off writing or research that should be done. If you’re spending your time cleaning or organizing your shoes in the closet or doing any other thing instead of writing, you may be procrastinating. To avoid procrastination, set actionable goals with deadlines; write them in a planner. Keep…

Daily Writing is the Way Most Writers Succeed — Today is Labor Day in the United States, a federal holiday. Most people do not work; they have the day off to be with their families, have barbeques and relax. But for writers, days off don’t really exist, meaning that most of us work anyway right through holidays. For example…

Creating a Character Who Matters — When my daughter entered high school, she joined theater, but not to act; she wanted to work behind the scenes and create costumes. This was an interesting job because she quickly found out two things. The first was that actors are actors, no matter if they are in Hollywood or…