Encouraging Writers To Keep Striving Toward Their Literary Goals
Is Googling enough? Should we only write about our own lives and things we know personally? This was the question posed during a Zoom writing group I recently attended. To give you some context, a writer stated that he didn’t want to write about himself. A non-cop, he’d submitted a police procedural for review, and … Read More “Is Googling Enough? Should You Only Write About What You Know?” »
This morning I was at my local dog park watching kids play soccer on an adjacent field. Seeing the children brought me back to an early period in my writing journey when I wrote picture books. Trying your hand at picture books is something I’d encourage you to do if you can’t give your writing … Read More “Picture Books Aren’t Just For Children. Reading and Writing PBs, Can Help Novelists Too.” »
After months or even years of work, you’ve finally finished a draft of your novel. You’re anxious, but also super excited to get feedback on your story and the characters you’ve created. Maybe you submit your first chapter to your critique group, or perhaps you hire a professional editor hoping that she’ll clean up your … Read More “Coping with a Negative Critique” »
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a taping of America’s Got Talent at the Pasadena Civic Center Auditorium. I hadn’t been to television show taping before, and didn’t know what to expect. Overall, it was a really positive experience. The auditorium was gorgeous, I enjoyed watching the crew work the cameras and lights, … Read More “Target Audience Lessons learned from AGT” »
If you’ve read my post about Lizzie Borden’s house you know I recently visited John and John Quincy Adams’ home—the Old House at Peace field—in Quincy, Massachusetts. Just to give you a point of reference, the Adams family lived in this Georgian style home, during which time the elder Adams stayed in Philadelphia and served … Read More “Creating The Perfect Space To Write…In Your Mind” »
My mother taught for over forty years. She taught in public elementary schools outside NY City, in the Pennsylvania suburbs, in an elite private school in Princeton, directed a New Jersey cooperative nursery school, and when she retired, she volunteered in a third-grade classroom in San Diego. As you might expect, over the course of … Read More “What’s in a Name? Why Your Characters’ Names Matter.” »
So, I recently visited Lizzie Borden’s house in Fall River Massachusetts. My son is a history and true crime buff and my daughter loves horror. Consequently, the tour was a must see stop for us during our New England vacation. Prior to visiting the infamous bed & breakfast and museum, I’d seen the film, Lizzie, … Read More “Story Telling Tips Ripped from The Lizzie Borden Home Tour” »
Last week during writing group, a member asked about shifting the start of her novel back chronologically. Her question made me think about beginnings and their importance. If course, the concept of beginnings being pivotal is nothing new. Agents, editors, and readers skim your book and if the first few paragraphs don’t grab them, they … Read More “Is There a Perfect Place to Start a Novel?” »
Being that summer is vacation season, like many of you I’m planning a vacay. As I ordered a new bathing suit (yikes!), a travel bag, and sunscreen on Amazon, I found myself thinking about some places I’ve visited that have inspired me to write. One town, Key West, tops my list as a great destination … Read More “Using a Key West Vacation as Motivation” »
If you’ve read my first post, you might assume that I’m not a big fan of critique groups. But in fact, the opposite is true. Let me start by saying that I’ve been in a lot of critique groups, mostly because I’ve moved around and because I’ve been writing for decades. I’ve participated in numerous … Read More “How To Make Your Critique Group Work For You” »
