You know the scene in adventure movies where the protagonist, digging feverishly where the “X” on the map has led, hits metal in the mud? That was me last weekend, only I wasn’t excavating earth, just the closet in my home office. And the telltale clunk wasn’t a spade striking a strongbox, but an heavy … More Buried Treasure: Five Reasons You Should Read Your Old Writing
My Sunday long runs often take me past the local Little Free Library (LFL), and I can never resist a peek inside the charming hutch. Two new additions the other weekend immediately caught my eye. Once was a phased-out library hardcover of Douglas Adams’ sci-fi classic The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, which I immediately snatched … More The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Print Design: Three Book Formatting Flaws and How Indie Authors Can Avoid Them
“You know why your books don’t sell?” asked my Laddie, scrolling idly through the Kindle sale page. Suggestive covers whizzed by on the computer screen. “No sex scenes.” I wrinkled my nose. “The protagonists in my last series were fifteen.” “Teenagers have sex.” “Not when they’re preoccupied with survival.” While adolescent sexual experiences may be … More Shipping and Handling, Pt 3: How to Write Sex Scenes (By Writing Fight Scenes)
Indie authorship seems to have exacerbated my penchant for masochism: I can’t help looking at the bestseller lists, even though it only leaves me sad that my books aren’t on them! Browsing the top titles a few weeks ago, the blurb for Dan Brown’s latest novel Origin caught my eye. After reconnecting with one of … More The Beautiful Scientist Problem, Pt I: Three Tips for Describing Female Characters
If you’ve been following my book reviews, you know how much I enjoyed the Insurrection science fiction serial by my indie author pal Anela Deen. So when she invited me to do a guest post on writing novella series, I was both excited and anxious. What could I possibly say on the topic to someone … More The ESSENCE of Writing a Novella Serial
“I never saw that coming!” more than one reader has exclaimed about the plot twists that characterize my books. But for someone obsessed with placing unexpected obstacles in her stories, I struggle mightily with them in real life. This weekend I visited family out of town this weekend and had a lovely time…until I went to … More Real-Life Plot Twists: How Storycraft Saved My Weekend
Wild Type 