In the quiet, early hours of the morning, or late at night when the world is asleep, many of us find ourselves indulging in the dream of writing that novel. You know, that one that’s been simmering in the back of our minds for years. We imagine our stories nestled on bookshelves between J.K. Rowling and Ernest Hemingway, touching the hearts and minds of readers around the globe. But how many of us actually take the leap from dreaming to doing? The Dream is More Common Than You Think I recently came across a report on a survey that said more than half of Americans believe they have a novel in ..read more

Used to be, I didn’t handle rejection very well. Used to be, this was what I looked like when I got a rejection letter. But it has gotten better. These days, when I get a rejection letter, I also get a high-five from my husband. Rejection as a Part of Life Last week, at the dinner table, I shared with the family that I got two rejection letters in one day. My husband held up his hand and I gave it a slap. My daughter, who is old enough now to understand that rejection is supposed to be a bad thing, asked why we were celebrating. We told her what we always tell each other: if you’re not gett ..read more

If you’re struggling to finish your novel, I understand. I’ve been in your shoes, and I know how challenging it can be to push through the obstacles and complete your manuscript. You are not alone in this journey. Many aspiring authors face the same challenges, but the good news is that there are proven strategies to help you overcome these obstacles and complete your novel. Join Our Webinar and Learn from a Published Author I’m excited to announce the return of our popular webinar series, “How to turn your half-finished novel into a completed manuscript.” Led by a published author with year ..read more

Three years ago, Kensington Books released my debut novel, “142 Ostriches.” It was February of 2020 and if you didn’t read any of the great reviews it’s probably because there was another story dominating the news cycle… Because of COVID I didn’t get to do my official book tour, but I met so many wonderful book clubs through Zoom. If you were among those early readers – thank you! Haven’t read it yet? Get your copy here! Today, as we celebrate the third anniversary of my first “book baby,” I’m thrilled to announce an exciting new chapter. From Page to Screen I’m delighted to share ..read more

In the labyrinth of creativity, every writer, at some point, finds themselves at a crossroads, staring down the branching path ahead, not sure which way to. It’s a place where words refuse to flow, ideas seem as elusive as shadows, and motivation is but a distant memory. In a recent conversation with a fellow writer in my Sit Write Here online writing community, a question came up: when I’m feeling stuck and need inspiration, what do I read to find my way again? A Surprising Answer The answer, surprisingly, isn’t rooted in a specific genre or a list of curated titles designed to unlock the m ..read more

If you know me at all, you know I don’t believe in “writer’s block.” It’s just a catch-all phrase we use to talk about the various reasons we’re struggling with our writing, and one of the most common things I see aspiring authors struggle with is overwhelm, which makes perfect sense to me. When faced with a seemingly insurmountable task of transforming thoughts into words, the mind can become cluttered, ideas can elude grasp, and the blank page can morph into an intimidating void. Why We Face Feelings of Overwhelm One common source of this overwhelm is the self-imposed burden of perfectionis ..read more

When you’re writing a story, be it fiction or non-fiction, it is critical that the reader be able to picture your characters. The more characters you have, the more important it is to remind us. If all I know about them are their names, they will be more or less interchangeable in my brain (which creates a lot of confusion in a story). For instance: John, Bob, and Jason (which reminds me, you should always strive to be a little more creative with your names – wrote a post about that a while back). I need to know what they look like and I need you find subtle ways to remind me what they look ..read more

If you’ve been following my journey recently, you know that I’ve delved back into an old project, one I initiated during NANoWriMo in 2019. No outline, no plan—just an idea and 50,000 words of what I can only describe as a hot mess. As I navigate through this creative endeavor, it’s become evident how crucial structure is in the storytelling process. When people hear the term “story structure,” their minds often gravitate towards the traditional three-act structure, particularly in the realm of fiction. The hero’s journey, inciting incidents, and climactic moments (what I consider plot) are ..read more

I hope the start of January 2024 has been treating you well so far. Today, I want to discuss a topic that’s close to every writer’s heart this time of year: turning that half-finished novel into a completed manuscript. It took me eight years to finished my first novel, but my second novel (which was far more complex) took me only three years, and last January I started a story that I finished in just 12 months (granted, it was a novella, but still…). Point is, a big part of writing a novel is learning how to write a novel. As a writing coach, I’ve made it my mission to help writers expedite t ..read more

I read 52 books this year. Of those, I didn’t finish some of them (I’m pretty quick to put books down these days), and nine stand out as excellent reads. These are the books that stayed with me, the ones I thought back on after I’d finished reading. They are the books I’m telling my friends about. Here they are, in no particular order and with no regard to publication date. The best books I read in 2023. (each of the images below links to my affiliate account on Bookshop.org which means that if you buy a book using that link, you support this blog AND indie bookstores – win win ..read more