I am the author or co-author of seven published fiction titles. Along the way I’ve had the experience of working with four different writers. I’ve spoken many times to libraries and book conventions about how it is to work with another author. Many questions have been asked about the process. I’ve narrowed the list down…
Category Archives: Writing
Seven Excellent Reasons to Enter Writing Contests
Contests for writers are everywhere – it’s almost impossible to avoid them. Not that you should. Entering writing contests can be extremely beneficial to both new and established writers. Writing contests offer a variety of prizes for winners such as publication, trips, gifts and goodies, or cash prizes. Some contests simply award you with a…
Starting at the Beginning in the Middle
Notes on Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony A book that is part of a series still needs to have a beginning that sets the story in motion. The opening for this novel demonstrates how to set a story into motion while filling in back story for new readers. Because Colony is aimed at young readers,…
101 Excuses Not to Write That Book
As a published author who has attended numerous writers groups and writers conferences over the last decade, I’ve heard lots of excuses about why people don’t write. Some of them I’ve even heard coming from myself! For fun, I came up with a list of 101 excuses why people don’t write that book they say…
How to Write a Book: 8 Easy Steps to Get it Done Quickly!
Studies show that up to 80% of people have considered writing a book. And while this may sound like a major undertaking, it just might be easier than you think. It’s also one of the best ways to establish yourself as an authority in your field. Authoring a book can impress clients, attract media attention,…
Entering Short Story Contests
Many authors begin their careers writing short stories to hone their craft before trying to publish full-length books. Entering short story contests can be an effective way to learn how to write a good short story, and winning such contests will make publishers pay more attention when authors submit their book-length manuscripts. Recently, I was…
Learn to Write by Reading
Anyone who wants to be a writer must learn how to write well, and the best teachers of writing are great writers. To access the great writers, all that is required is a lot of reading. Reading teaches authors how to write well by making style, structure, plot, organization, and the many other elements that…
Turning Your Kids Into Writers
One of the things I like to talk to kids about when I make author visits is how much storytelling they already do, even if they never write anything down. Even very young children find themselves daydreaming about people and things around them. At the grocery store they see a guy with an unusual hat…
The Need to Matter
One of the primal human needs is a need to matter. In life, how we are validated and viewed by others often comes from our family relationships. And when someone’s sense of mattering is bound up in being part of a family that breaks up, everyone involved has to redefine themselves. This makes families under…
10 Questions to Ask Before Writing Your Book
One of the saddest parts of my job as a publicity expert is taking calls from authors who are almost in tears. All the calls sound the same. The authors have spent a fortune writing, publishing and marketing their books—with few sales to show for it. Most of them can’t park in their garages because…
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