When I’m teaching writing, one of my favorite things to cover is the author's voice. It’s an intriguing subject for me because a strong author voice can make a piece, and a boring author voice can break it. When I was running The Copperfield Review, one thing that quickly turned me off from wanting to … Continue reading Finding Your Voice: How To Discover Your Unique Writing Style
Writing Inspiration
The Allure of Dark Academia: Why This Genre Casts a Powerful Spell
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
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
Poe and the Gothic: Researching His Literary Style
Sharing More Book Research Since I shared my research into the nineteenth-century spiritualism movement last week, I thought I’d share some research into one of my favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe. Yes, if you’re wondering, this research also plays into my new novel, though I can’t say how yet. I’ve read so many biographies about … Continue reading Poe and the Gothic: Researching His Literary Style
Victorian Séance Research: History, Mediums, and Beliefs
The Belief in Spiritualism It's hard to talk about my current WIP without spoilers! I think it's safe to say that some of the book is about spiritualism in the nineteenth century. I've touched on spiritualism before in the Loving Husband Series, specifically with Olivia, who, of course, is one of the most powerful witches … Continue reading Victorian Séance Research: History, Mediums, and Beliefs
Annotating Books for Research and Enjoyment: My Personal Methods
The Joy of Annotating Books I’ve been a bookworm all my life. I started reading at a young age, which my mother attributes to my watching Sesame Street. Ernie and Bert and ABC songs aside, books were my first and best friends. I lived in books. In books I saw that there were other worlds, … Continue reading Annotating Books for Research and Enjoyment: My Personal Methods