One of my most popular posts is this guide to the Dark Academia genre. I wanted to look a little more closely into the topic since reading Dark Academia novels has become one of my guilty pleasures. I’ve said before that I must live under a rock since I heard about Dark Academia maybe two … Continue reading The Allure of Dark Academia: Why This Genre Casts a Powerful Spell
Creative Writing
More Than Just Macabre: Fascinating Elements of Poe’s Short Stories
A few weeks ago I shared some of what I’ve learned about Edgar Allan Poe’s literary style. Here’s the post. This week I wanted to share a little more about what I’ve learned about Poe’s short stories. While Poe’s reputation as a master of the macabre is well-earned, to label him only as a horror … Continue reading More Than Just Macabre: Fascinating Elements of Poe’s Short Stories
Want to Know What Your Novel is About? Write the Blurb
Over the years, I’ve become more of a pantster than a plotter. Before I begin writing, I know the ending. For some strange reason, the ending is always the first thing I know about a story I'm writing. Figuring out how to work my way through the beginning and the middle to get to that … Continue reading Want to Know What Your Novel is About? Write the Blurb
Five Things I Wish I Knew When I Began My Writing Career
When I began my writing career, I was fueled by passion, determination, and naïveté. Like many new writers, I thought that if I worked hard enough and believed in my stories, success would naturally follow. While some of what I dreamed of has happened, some things have turned out very different from what I imagined … Continue reading Five Things I Wish I Knew When I Began My Writing Career
My Summer Routine (Hint: I Don’t Have One)
I love summer because it's vacation time for me. I was going to write a post about my summer routine, but when I started thinking about it I realized that I don’t have a summer routine. I don't follow a schedule. And quite honestly, I love it. Another Example of My No-Routine Routine I wrote here … Continue reading My Summer Routine (Hint: I Don’t Have One)
How to Create Memorable Characters Your Readers Will Love
How to Create Memorable Characters I've been asked many times how I create such well-rounded characters. The truth is, I'm not entirely sure myself. Here I am, minding my own business as I think my way through a story, and suddenly these people appear. Who are you? I find myself asking the question aloud sometimes, … Continue reading How to Create Memorable Characters Your Readers Will Love
Exploring Humanity Through Storytelling: The Heart of My Novels
Why I Focus on Humanity in my Storytelling One of the most common responses I've heard from readers is how human James Wentworth is. If you’re not familiar with the Loving Husband Trilogy, James Wentworth is one of the main characters. He’s also a vampire. He's also more humane than most of the humans in the … Continue reading Exploring Humanity Through Storytelling: The Heart of My Novels
Behind the Scenes: My Writing Space and Creative Sanctuary
Where Do You Write? Where we write is as important as how we write since our writing space can affect how we feel emotionally, mentally, even physically. Having a dedicated space to write has made such a difference in how I feel about sitting down to work every day. For years, I didn’t think much … Continue reading Behind the Scenes: My Writing Space and Creative Sanctuary
From Rough to Refined: Tackling the All-Important Second Draft
Starting Draft Two of my WIP Baking time for my current WIP is done, the timer had dinged, and now I’m writing the second draft. While this is the fun part of the writing process for me, it’s also the most difficult to explain because I believe there's magic involved. In her book Big Magic, … Continue reading From Rough to Refined: Tackling the All-Important Second Draft
Writing Tools I Use: A Behind the Scenes Look at My WIP
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