Oct 22, 2025 | On Writing
When it comes to writing fiction, it’s all about character. Even in genre fiction, where plot may be seen to rule, it’s still all about character. As my editor, Pete Wolverton of Minotaur/ St. Martin’s Press, and the recipient of the prestigious Ellery Queen Award,...
Sep 24, 2025 | On Writing
As an agent and author, I spend a lot of time at conferences meeting writers looking to break into traditional publishing. And so many of these writers are THIS close to getting published. Meaning that they’ve been working hard on their craft, putting in the ten...
Aug 13, 2025 | On Writing
Structure is the underpinning of the novel, the pillars that support the narrative from beginning to end. Without a strong structure, your story can fall in on itself, like a Jenga puzzle in freefall. But that doesn’t mean structure has to be boring. Here are 10...
Jun 18, 2025 | On Mindfulness, On Writing
We live in a world more determined than ever to distract us—and the distractions are winning. More than sixty percent of us find ourselves distracted at work by social media, emails, and other digital communications, according to a recent study by Udemy. We’re losing...
May 21, 2025 | On Writing
Metaphor is the lifeblood of language. And no one knows this better than poets. As the month of April comes to a close, and with it National Poetry Month, it would behoove all of us writers, poets or not, to remind ourselves of the power of the metaphor. Here’s a...