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The Worst Story Ever (the MST3K version)
This past week, Frankie Diane Mallis did something very brave. On a dare, she posted an “absolutely horrid horrid horrid story ‘Untitled’ that I wrote […]
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Should You Always Avoid the Verb “To Be”?
A fundamental rule of style is that you should avoid the verb “to be,” preferring instead strong, descriptive verbs that show, rather than tell. As […]
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Battling the Post-Revision Blues
I’ve experienced the same thing, as a musician, whenever I give a big musical performance. As you prepare for the big event, you practice, you […]
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Checklist for Revising a Novel
Recently, I joked on my personal blog about how (not) to revise your novel, a trying process involving sweat, tears, and numerous trips to the […]
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Interview with Julie Carobini, “Beach-Lit” Author
I’m chatting here in my virtual living room today with Julie Carobini, author of what she calls “beach-lit” novels: Chocolate Beach, Truffles by the Sea, […]
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Making Sense of Narrative Mode (and Tense)
Sometimes writers talk about what “tense” they’re writing in: third-person past, first-person present, or whatever. This is actually called “narrative mode,” not just tense. The […]
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The Best Thing You’ve Ever Written
Yesterday, I posted a status on Facebook about my new novel I’m working on: “This is a tear-jerker. Possibly the best story I’ll have written […]
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10 NaNoWriMo Tips
National Novel Writing Month rolls around every November. And I usually don’t participate, although I may this year. (I threatened to last year, but those […]
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I Wanna Write like Nora Roberts: 7 Tips for Prolific Writers
As you may know, I’ve never been able to get through a Nora Roberts novel. I’ve always gotten bored or otherwise lost interest. So then […]
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Finding the Right Word: 7 Unusually Useful Online Word Tools
Because I’m a writer, when one of my friends can’t think of the right word for what they’re trying to say, they turn to me. […]
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