My Writer's Toolkit Over the years, I’ve fine-tuned my toolkit in order to streamline my writing workflow. My writer’s toolkit is always a work in progress, but I’ve found a system that I’ve used for my past few books, including my current WIP, a Dark Academia suspense novel. I thought I’d share a bit about … Continue reading Writing Tools I Use: A Behind the Scenes Look at My WIP
The Secret Weapon of Historical Novelists: Research That Captivates
I recently read Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar, a historical fantasy novel. Where Bardugo's Ninth House was a five-star read for me, I'd place The Familiar at four stars. I liked the story, and the main character Luzia grew on me as the story progressed. I didn't love the Hunger Games-type magic show, and though I … Continue reading The Secret Weapon of Historical Novelists: Research That Captivates
Five YouTube Channels To Spark Your Creativity
Creative Videos Can Provide Inspiration Like other people, I enjoy watching YouTube videos now and again. I’ve fine-tuned my algorithm on YouTube to show only what I want to see. I don’t watch the news, and I don’t want to see anything news-related. Yes, I know it’s like sticking my head in the sand, but … Continue reading Five YouTube Channels To Spark Your Creativity
How to Write Through the Difficult Stages of a Novel: A Tip for Authors
When You’re Ready To Give Up There’s a stage of the writing process I rarely hear talked about, and that’s the stage when the project hits a roadblock and we’re ready to put that book by the wayside and say “Bye-bye!” My current WIP is in the baking stage, and though I have a complete … Continue reading How to Write Through the Difficult Stages of a Novel: A Tip for Authors
My Poetry Obsession: What I’m Currently Reading
I began my writing life with poetry, though it was writing fiction that stuck. Always my love of poetry remained, and even now when I read fiction it’s the beauty of the language I look for–the poetry in the prose. As much as I love poetry, I lost my way with reading it for a … Continue reading My Poetry Obsession: What I’m Currently Reading
Escape the Scroll: A Writer’s Guide to a Productive Day
How We Schedule Our Days When I’m watching YouTube, videos will pop up about someone’s daily routine, whether they’re writers, students, or artists. I’ve watched a few of those videos, and it can be interesting to see how others get through their days. It can be hard for people with a full-time job to visualize … Continue reading Escape the Scroll: A Writer’s Guide to a Productive Day
More Unlocking the Magic of Writing: A Guide to Completing Your Novel
Are You A Plotter or a Pantster? We see these quizzes online—are you a plotter or a pantster?—and we’re supposed to fit neatly into one box or the other. If you’re not familiar with the terms, a plotter is a writer who plots out the story before writing and a pantser is someone who “flies … Continue reading More Unlocking the Magic of Writing: A Guide to Completing Your Novel
Unlocking the Magic of Writing: A Guide to Starting Your Novel
Another How-To Write Post I know these “How To Write” posts are a dime a dozen, but I’ve been asked to share how I get myself started when tackling a new project, so here it is is. I should point out that this is how I begin a novel. If you ask ten different novelists … Continue reading Unlocking the Magic of Writing: A Guide to Starting Your Novel