This weekend only, Friday Freebies is expanded to start today and run through Monday. Read the thriller that has received 96% four and...

I just watched THE INVISIBLE MAN on HBO. Not the original with Claude Rains, but the 2020 release. I didn’t have high expectations. Was I...

Here's a great article from James Scott Bell with which every writer needs to do a self-check. 7 Things That Will Doom Your Novel (& How...

_____________________________________________________________ A great way to get and give feedback is to form what I call a Jump Start...

Today, a bestselling writer friend and I were discussing the recent disaster in my life. No, nobody died, though I don’t preclude the...

As an editor, one of my pet peeves is the writer who thinks he needs to put every last detail on paper. It might be a place or a person....

AVOID HO-HUM DIALOGUE - FLIP THE SCRIPT While doing research, I came across a story I think can be very helpful in writing dialogue....

Here's an excellent eye-opener on how to go about pitching your book from Lee Constantine, CMO of Publishizer.com....

RUN AWAY FROM QUERYING IN AUGUST!! Here’s why. All the big publishers and many of the medium publishers are headquartered in New York...

How many times have you been told to develop an elevator pitch? A couple fast lines to capsulize your manuscript? So, you spend days,...

Q: What’s a blurb? A: It’s a short explanation of the plot and characters of your novel, designed to hook the interest of an agent, an...

An effective way to match your villain to your hero is to create an asymmetrical relationship between their strengths and weaknesses....

OK, by popular demand, here's the skinny on how to get this straight. THERE is an indication of a place: Put the basket there. Go over...

Last month I explained push/pull marketing and promised to get back with more information on “pull” marketing, which can best be...

I want to talk about a coincidence that brought into focus an issue near and dear: showing vs. telling and how much detail is enough....

Marketing for Writers 101 When most writers use the term “marketing” they really mean “selling.” The two are worlds apart. What is...

WHO IS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER? When you start a manuscript, you might only have a gut feel for the broad strokes of your main character. But...

SOPHIE’S CHOICE FOR WRITERS I think it would be helpful to contrast two key elements of a story: setting and immediate scene. I’ve talked...

Merry Christmas! A once-in-a-year opportunity for writers is here. Let me explain. Busy buying last-minute gifts? Cooking holiday meals?...

I like to pass along writing articles that catch my fancy. Here are some helpful comments, especially the one from JoJo Moyes. Click here>...