Why so tense?

Why yes, this is an old post I'm reincarnating. You see, it's my birthday tomorrow, and I'm treating myself to a little slothfulness this weekend. But don't worry. While I'm growing...

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Follow Fest

Today I'm taking part in the week-long Follow Fest, hosted by Melissa Maygrove. It's not too late to join the fun! Swing on by Melissa's blog to sign up. Melissa gave us a handful...

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Esteem or enhance? Using compliment and complement

It's phonics Friday, when we learn to tell apart sound-alike words known as homophones. This week's pair came to my attention while copy editing at work. Even folks with PhDs...

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Sa-weet!

Thanks, readers, for weighing in on my new author photos. It was helpful to hear which photo spoke to you and why. With so many sites requiring a profile picture, it's nice to...

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A white tiger? A blue lobster? No...

....it's a rare Monday post from me! But I will pop in on my "off days" for special occasions, including two I'll share below... Photos I had some new author photos shot recently...

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Beyond closure: The key to creating satisfying story endings

Why do stories that turn on a simple epiphany bother us so much when we encounter them in fiction? Probably because they feel so fictional. In real life, insights are a lot...

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The secret to complex, compelling conflict

The prevailing wisdom is that conflict is the core of every story, advice that can be a bit perplexing. Not every character is prone to fist-fights or verbal sparring. Some people,...

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Narrative misdirection example

Scene from Never Gone, chapter 12  EXCERPT REMOVED Today's rough and tumble independent publishing world made it necessary to remove all snippets and previous versions...

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