No, we’re not talking about Valley Girl vernacular. Many writers get this wrong, including me, so I wanted to post it so we could all remember this simple rule. A conditional in literature and computer programming means using the word “IF.” As we’re writing prose, many times we’ll use a conditional as a metaphor, using…
You may think the digital age has created a renaissance for art. In some ways, it has. Artists can share their work with so many more people. We now have the ability to publish in so many more media and reach more fans. But it’s also a dark age for artists–real artists–those who have devoted…
I recently read a short story that began: I looked out my apartment window through the Venetian blinds down at a street full of shadows. Do you see what’s wrong with this sentence? It’s a common mistake that many rookie writers make: it’s written out of order. You don’t look out a window, through blinds,…
Here is a great video by author Kate Messner on building fictional worlds:
Everyone claims to be a Social Networking Guru. Seems like a perfect dream job, right? Sit around and play on Facebook and Twitter all day long. But most people really don’t know the intricacies of successful social networking. I was given a complimentary copy of Twitter for Writers (Scimitar Press) by Rayne Hall. As a…
I’m not saying I’m perfect. In fact, I’ve made most of these rookie mistakes myself. And I wish someone had laid it on the line before I first put my manuscript out there, because I got beaten up by publishers, agents and seasoned editors. So here’s what I’ve learned–and what I still observe–for those of…
It is said that an author has to “fall in love” a little with his or her characters. That certainly happened to me, and it’s why I extended my first novel, Town Red, into a series. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I read an article today that referred to a study by psychologist Arthur…
You may have heard the adage, “Nobody lives in a vacuum.” Well, you can apply that to writing, too. If you write a book, congratulate yourself, and then upload it to Amazon, I guarantee it will suck. Everyone–and I mean everyone–needs critique. A second, third, or tenth pair of eyes will give you a necessary…
I was about to write a snotty 59-character tweet: “I can tell by your book cover that you are self-published.” However I believe it’s better to be helpful than snotty. Most of the time. I am not an artist, but I am an author and I cringe when I see other authors making the biggest…
Note: for my followup review on the Fashion Industry in 2017 read: As Subtle as the Pose – 3 Years Later About ten years ago when the internet bubble popped, I took up a new career to pay the rent. I had a good camera back before everyone had one on their phones. Fortunately I…