When you come up with a new idea for a fiction book, it’s tempting to jump right in and start writing. I’ll figure out my characters later, you think. Right now, I just want to write! I definitely applaud the attitude of putting pen to paper …
We’re all busy. We have social obligations, kids and dogs to take care of, marriages to nourish, houses and apartments to maintain. If writing isn’t something you’re paid to do, it can easily fall by the wayside. But it doesn’t have to as long as you follow my tips for fitting writing into your schedule. …
Prologues and epilogues are a divisive topic. Some people think they’re necessary and other people think they’re just fluff. So how do you figure out if they will work for you?
I’ve mentioned this before, but I dread editing. My favorite part of writing a novel is the actual writing part and when it comes time to start editing, I do whatever I can to put it off. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people who can write a perfect first draft and eventually I must …
Which is harder, writing the beginning of a book or the end?
I love writing dialogue.
Ah, plotting. The bane of my existence.
One of my favorite things about writing fiction is deciding character names. Half the time I come up with a name first, then I imagine the characters and plot. Other times, I come up with characters and plot and then start assigning names to everyone.
One of the biggest decisions I make every time I start a new novel is where I want it to take place. Sometimes the setting comes along as part of the plot, other times it really doesn’t matter at all where the action takes place, leaving me free to come up with any kind of …