Articles

I have been writing for over twenty-five years and have successfully published thirty-six books. I couldn’t have done this without setting goals–long and short range ones. Every year at the beginning I think of what I want to accomplish during the year and I map out a plan. Then I break this yearly goal down into steps that can be taken each month. If I decide I am going to write three books in a year, I loosely plan how that will be done. You do have to take into consideration that surprises happen along the way all the time. As a teacher I have learned to go with the flow. It is just as important as a writer. Sometimes you have to spend more time on a book than you originally thought. Or, sometimes you have to do extensive edits on a book you sold. Or,...

For several years now I have been on the Internet connecting with readers and writers, promoting my books. I sometimes wonder what it would be like without the Internet. It certainly has changed things for the writer from researching to promoting to networking. I know of some writers who aren’t on the Internet, but the vast majority of the authors I know used the Internet, some extensively. Who you know matters. Networking is important in any job you do and writing is no different. The Internet can be fast and convenient, fitting into today’s world. However, using the Internet to network has its pros and cons. There are many advantages to using the Internet to help you connect with other writers as well as readers. I think the most important pro is that you can...

What are two opposing words that best describe your character with one being an adjective and the other a noun: _____________________________________________________ Physical Description: Hair_________________________ Eye color ____________________ Physique___________________________________________________ Unusual physical trait________________________________________ Description of facial features__________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Mannerisms________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Walk______________________________________________________ Speech_____________________________________________________...

I read a book this year that I found fascinating and extremely helpful in my writing even though it isn’t a book about writing. It is The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. As people speak different verbal languages, they can also communicate in different love languages which leads to problems in a relationship. Just imagine if you only spoke French and your spouse only spoke English. There definitely could be problems that develop. This can be used by a writer to hike up the tension between the hero and heroine. We can use this as part of our conflict between them. Then we can use the journey to learn the other’s love language as part of our plot, too. Chapman has concluded from years of being a marriage counselor that people express their love in...