From Our Blog
Sidekicks & Ensembles: Protecting the Hero and Each Other
If you’re writing a story, you’ll need secondary characters to flesh out the world you’re building. Otherwise, it’s a pretty dull world. You need sidekicks!
Sidekicks are indispensable for asking or answering questions of your heroes. At the very least, they give your main characters someone to interact with.
Are there differences between sidekicks, ensembles, and partners? Do you need them if …
Grief and Creativity
“Grief is the ultimate thief of creativity.” —Sweta Vikram
According to the Hospice Foundation of America, grief is “a reaction to loss, and like a fingerprint, it is different for everyone.”
The anticipation of or death of a loved one or an animal companion, the loss of a relationship, a job, or your independence, perhaps due to injury or illness, may trigger a grief response.
Before my friend…
Oh, how the industry loves a shiny new debut author! And wasn’t instant success the dream for most of us? And longevity! Don’t we all want to be that author whose readers wait with breathless anticipation for our latest and greatest? But while publishers may fall all over themselves for the fresh face or the perennial bestseller, the fact of the matter is, publishers can’t round out their catal…
Feeling the Strain? Ergonomic Office Tools for Everyday Writing
Logitech’s ERGO K860 wireless ergonomic keyboard. Credit: Logitech
Over the next few months, I will be transforming one of my bedrooms into a home office. My goals for this project include creating an inviting space and maximizing comfort. Authors spend numerous hours sitting at a desk staring at a computer monitor, wh…
Best Left Unsaid: Mastering Omission, Misdirection, and Precision in Dialogue
We all want to write fast-paced, energy-packed dialogue, but like everything else related to being a novelist, what looks the most effortless from the outside is actually the most challenging.
The magic of sizzling dialogue lies in what’s not said—an invisible tension beneath the words. Omission, misdirection, and precision make otherwise mundane conversations come alive.
The goal is dialogue t…
Five Pain Points of Being an Author
Life as a published author, although immensely satisfying, can be fraught with day-to-day stressors that writers may not anticipate in their pre-published days. These stressors are the things I think of when new writers ask me what I wish I’d known 20 years ago.
Let’s explore a handful of things that can influence success and emotional stability in an extremely competitive business.
The lonelin…