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
Writing
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
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
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
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