THE BLOG

This week was a week full of stress, personal failures (at least perceived ones) and surprises. I was really tempted to beat myself up about it this week, but we all know that doesn't help anything. 

This week, I hit a big milestone: 12,000 words!

While we're only at 1/8th of the projected length for this novel, it's important to me to celebrate this milestone, because this week has been a doozy....

They ran and ran and ran.

Jasper lost track of the turns he took and the echoing of footsteps in his ears. There was a relentless drumming in his head - and he would have followed its rhythm for mile...

Why do we write a blurb? I get this question a lot - what is a blurb, how do we write it, what do we use it for, do we even need a blurb... (the answer is yes to the last one, without a doubt). In thi...

January 13

One of the big questions I keep getting from my students is all about the querying process. There's a lot of information out there, but sorting through it and finding what is actually help...

If your fans have ever told you that you use too much dialogue in your novel, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Dialogue is a powerful storytelling tool, but if it dominates your pages, it can slow pacing...

January 6-12, 2025

January 6

Research:

I started today with researching the synopsis. I've probably written hundreds of these - it's part of refining the writing process - but it's been a while sin...

"He deserves a choice," Lucrezia insisted. She wouldn't stay inside the Sanctuary, but work in her lab in the villa. It clashed brilliantly with the ancient Japanese architecture of Yori's home, but i...

Switching points of view (POV) in a story is a powerful tool for adding depth, perspective, and nuance to your narrative. When done well, it can bring readers closer to your characters, offering fresh...

Hi there! Welcome to the first week of me documenting the (wild) process of writing my book!

If this is your first time here, welcome! I’m so excited to share this journey with you. If you’ve been fo...

Writing is a deeply rewarding process, but it can also be mentally and emotionally demanding. Many writers, especially those just starting out, wonder: Is it okay to take breaks between writing? Will ...

If you’ve been writing—or even thinking about starting—you’ve probably heard the advice: “Just write your first draft without overthinking it!” But what if you’re struggling to even get to that point?...