“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” — Stephen King I read voraciously as a kid. From an early age, I indulged in the joys of immersing myself in words and the worlds they create. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, The... Continue Reading →
“Neglect Everything Else” – What Time Management Looks Like for Writers
If you’re a writer and you’re reading this post, then you know that being a writer is darn hard! Relying on yourself to set your own deadlines and priorities, and then to hold yourself to them, is no walk in the park. It’s hard to carve out your own time amongst all the other things... Continue Reading →
How to Become Overwhelmed by Too Much Writing Advice
It starts by staring at your blank page, or at your daily task list, or at your calendar with its inalterable deadline, and acknowledging that you have absolutely no motivation to dig in and git’er done. So to the Google you go, in search of listicles and how-tos and productivity hacks that you hope will... Continue Reading →
7 Things I’ve Learned About Writing a Book – Guest Post from @RomanceDebs #Writing #Authors
Hello all! I'm so very pleased to have Cate from Romance Debuts with me today on my blog. Cate has profiled numerous first-time and multi-published authors, and I'm so proud to have here here today to tell us all what she's learned in her time as a romance blogger. So then, without further ado ... Cate,... Continue Reading →
Why Inspiration is a Road Block to Finishing Your Novel
I was going to write a post about inspiration today. It was going to be full of tips from top writers about how they find inspiration for their work, and suggestions for how you can keep yours as you complete your work in progress. After doing a whole bunch of research, and coming across tons... Continue Reading →
Are Writers Inherent Procrastinators?
I never procrastinate. Said no writer ever. We’re an unusual bunch, we writers, aren’t we? We’re highly creative and driven to succeed. We can turn a raw idea into a glorious paragraph of literary genius as magically as Rumpelstiltskin turns straw into gold. We create worlds, build cities, meddle with relationships and play God with... Continue Reading →
Blogging For Authors: What It Really Is
Author friends: Do you blog? Are you thinking about implementing it into your marketing strategy? A word of caution if you are—for your blog to be effective, the majority of your posts should not be about you or your books. … Huh??? I know. Sounds kind of backwards, right? But the truth about blogging is... Continue Reading →
Facing Self-Doubt as an Author
“I don’t believe anyone ever suspects how completely unsure I am of my work and myself and what tortures of self-doubting the doubt of others has always given me.” It may surprise you to learn that this quote is from none other than Thomas “Tennessee” Lanier Williams the 3rd, one of the most celebrated playwrites... Continue Reading →
Using Personal Loss to Write Grief
“I loved that book. I really felt like I could not relate to the characters one bit.” Said no one ever. Writing real characters is an essential feature of a story that moves readers and pulls at their heart strings. Yet it’s one of the most misunderstood elements of fiction. Ranking right up there with... Continue Reading →
Overcoming Your Inhibitions as a Writer
In an earlier blog post I announced that I was taking a second crack at my first novel, Bride of Dunloch. After nearly three years since it was first released, I’ve learned a lot, I’ve gained a following and I’ve gained a publisher. I’d like to turn my Highland Loyalties trilogy (of which Bride of... Continue Reading →