Making Use of Feedback

If you are serious about becoming a writer then at some point you will need to show others your work and ask them what they think. When your pet project comes back, scarred beyond recognition in red ink, you have three choices: You can quit writing. You can decide to be a poor, misunderstood artist […]

Honest Feedback

One of the most important skills that a writer can learn is how to provide effective feedback. If you want your writing to climb out of interns’ slush piles and into the hands of editors, or even if your stories are ready to become great rather than merely acceptable, you will need to show them […]

Tips for Writers: Thank You

There is a good reason that we call “please” and “thank you” magic words. The hold within them the simple power of politeness and the fathomless power of professionalism. Whether you’re an amateur or published pro, you need to get used to saying the words “thank you” and then stop talking. The part where you […]

The Implicit Promise of Genre

Have you ever read a book or a story in which, halfway through, there’s suddenly a ghost? There you are, reading what you think is a perfectly ordinary, mainstream suspense, mystery, or romance, when suddenly Boo! Out pops a random spirit. You may think this is far-fetched, but I’ve seen it in books written by […]

…And Love Conquers All

The idea that love magically conquers all is quickly becoming my second least favorite ending. Deus ex machina does, of course, take the prize, but despite the fact that there is a genre expectation in romance that love can conquer all, I wonder if it is not a little “god machine” itself. It’s magic. Whether […]

Virtual Tour Service Review: Bewitching

I hired Bewitching Book Tours in September as part of my continuing promotion for Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. Since Cassie Scot came out in May, this book tour was several months on from its release. Sales were good, but certainly not as strong as they had been in the first few weeks. My goal with […]

Tips for Wr…Everyone — Don’t Start With Boredom!

This was going to be another writing tips segment before I realized that the inspiration for posting it came from life. And that, in fact, this advice has far broader reach than the written word. If you want me to feel bored, the best thing you can do is to begin your (whatever — book, […]

How to Hire a Virtual Tour Service

Why should I plan a virtual book tour for my book? I’ll start with the easiest question to answer… You should plan a virtual book tour for your book because the Internet is how books are sold. Even if people end up going to a brick and mortar store (and most don’t bother), they find […]

When Romance Becomes Deadly

Believe it or not, this post isn’t about vampires. But I can see why you might think so. 🙂 I was thinking recently about romantic books in which the hero or heroine is already married (to someone else) before they find their true love. It usually happens in historical romance, probably because in modern times […]

Quick Tips: First Lines

1. Keep it short. Short sentences are easier to digest. They tend to convey simple concepts. They get straight to a point. Longer sentences are useful when you need to describe something bigger, more detailed, or more complex. I’m sure you know that varying sentence lengths throughout your prose makes it stronger. Shorter sentences move […]