Excuses, Excuses
Puleeeeze, writers. As a high school language arts teacher I’ve heard every excuse in the book—many times over. Much to my students’ chagrin, I tear apart…um, I mean kindly and logically explain how to overcome that excuse. ( Maybe this is why...New Year’s Writing Resolutions
Write every day. Fall in love with the process of writing, from the initial idea to the first draft through the 10th revision and editing stage. Devote X minutes a day to learning about the craft of writing. Take a creative writing class, join a writing group, read...Giving Writerly Thanks
Writers love complaining and moaning, and I’ve done my share of that. But not today. Today I give thanks for the writing process. Waking up is fun. My mind is churning with words-words-words and plots-plots-plots. Coffee tastes good when I’m writing and...Got Research?
Many writers do a fair amount of research for their novels. Whether your genre is mystery, action-adventure, sci-fi, historical, urban fantasy, crime, or horror—writers are forever looking up facts to mix with the fiction. Authors can spend at least a month...Shocking Writer Transmutations
Writers evolve. They learn the craft, make mistakes, correct their errors, develop their voice, and learn some more. The process takes time ( years ), requires lots and lots of writing and hours and hours of reading. But what they don’t tell you is that a writer...Psychopath, Entrepreneur or…Writer?
While researching personality traits for a main character I came across several articles about the similarities between psychopaths and entrepreneurs. Frightening, yes? Until I realized ambitious, goal-driven (or more accurately, obsessive) writers tend to fit the...A Confucius Consultation
Once in a while, research done for my current work in progress inspires a blog topic. And whether you call it serendipity or synchronicity, often a few golden research nuggets found along the way prove to be quite inspirational! Here’s a few Chinese proverbs...10 Can-Do Traits Every Writer Needs
There are 10 can-do traits that an employer looks for in a prospective employee. Those same 10 traits also apply to a wanna-be author with plans to begin and finish writing their novel. Below are the 10 traits and how they apply to the novel-writing process. Do you...Making the Most of Your Writing Hours
“How do you find the time to write a novel while working full time?” I get asked this question ALL the time by coworkers, friends, and aspiring authors. Writing a novel is time-consuming. It takes a whole lot of perseverance and ambition and stamina and...10 Artifacts Every Writer Can Really Use
Writers are a curious bunch. We tend to be a tad superstitious when it comes to writing. A writing routine, a preferred chair, a favorite mug or coffee shop: All these—so we convince ourselves—provide the creative sanctuary to imagine plot, character, and conflict....Writer’s Grimoire page 3
Spell for removing writer’s block! Don’t ask where I found this ancient book! I can’t tell you ( the repercussions and all that ). But I will share the spells and incantations with you—hey, we writers need all the help we can get! And a little...12 Signs Your WIP is Your Best Friend
Writers spend more time with their manuscripts than their best friends. Or maybe it’s that your work in progress is ever so much more needier and demands hours and hours and hours and hours of attention. *WIP stands for work in progress You spend every spare...Color Smarts
I love paint shopping. I have fun looking at the names assigned to the hundred and hundreds of colors available. So many Reds-Blacks-Blues-Greens-Oranges-Whites-Purples-Pinks-Browns-Yellows and ALL the colors in between. Sometimes I think the folks who assigned the...Writer’s Grimoire page 2
Spell for Increasing Word Count! Don’t ask where I found this manuscript! I won’t tell you ( the repercussions and all that, you know ). But I will share the Writer’s Grimoire–hey, we writers need all the help we can get! A little magic or...
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: recommend Merkabah as a must read, especially for the para-normal, ancient history, thriller seeker, audience, and anyone who wants a novel that seems to turn the pages for you as you dive between the covers and into the thick of the story with Daphne and S.J.
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: As with any great first novel in a series, it left me panting and begging for more. The second novel in the series, The Merkabah Deception utilized The Recruit as a diving platform to send me deep into the muck and mire of the ancient gods and demons ongoing battle of the spiritual world.
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: The story between Daphne, the introverted doctoral candidate/college professor, and S. J., the demi-god/Nephilim heats to a boil as the “Watchers” seem to become more involved in the love affair between a human and a Watcher. This is only the sideline to the action-filled storyline as Daphne’s powers as a Merkabah continue to increase and she continues to fight the demons that are co-habiting earth with us mere earthlings.
