Have you ever really looked at a book? I don’t mean just the cover of it, but the interior of it too. As a reader, much of the design of a book goes unnoticed, which is what you want as a book designer. You want the reader to focus on the story and not onContinue reading “Interior Book Design”
Category Archives: Writing tips
Count down to Halloween
The costumes began appearing in stores a few weeks ago. The Spirit store and Halloween Store have opened their doors. The haunted houses have begun operation for the greatest of holidays, Halloween. I love Halloween. I get so excited the closer it gets. I’m not sure what I should be this year, last year IContinue reading “Count down to Halloween”
The Catcher in the Rye and Coffee
As I drove to Barnes and Noble, I knew I had to have a plan and I went in with determination and a plan. I was getting a copy of Catcher in the Rye, a coffee, and leaving. No browsing, no other books. I needed a classic book written in first person for ideas onContinue reading “The Catcher in the Rye and Coffee”
Hook your Readers
Five to ten pages, that’s it. If you don’t hook them into your story within that time, most readers will put the book down. In order to hook a reader, you have to grip them emotionally with action and a specific character. Throw them into the middle of some action. It doesn’t have to beContinue reading “Hook your Readers”
When is your WIP ready for publishing?
Let’s admit it, you could change your work in progress (WIP) endlessly. Sentences can be rewritten in a bunch of different ways. You can spend days choosing the perfect word to describe one moment. Paragraphs and scenes can be reordered, added, deleted, and amped up on crack. So how do you know when your bookContinue reading “When is your WIP ready for publishing?”
Three keys to keep the creative flowing
There are three keys to keep the creativity flowing, the boys in the basement active, and the muse at the quill. First is to read, read, and read. Second is to learn as much as you can. Third is to write even when it sucks. Reading in the genre that you write in is important.Continue reading “Three keys to keep the creative flowing”
I need a freaking doggie door!
My writing tip of the day: If you are a writer with dogs, get a doggie door. Meet the slave drivers, Annabelle (black) and Ignacious (brown). Adorable aren’t they? Yes well they are the first three times I get up to let them out the door, but after the fiftieth time, they are no longerContinue reading “I need a freaking doggie door!”
Text to Speech
A useful strategy for editing your manuscript is to read it out loud. By doing so, you focus on each word more and can catch mistakes in your writing whether it is a missing comma, a misspelled word, or an auto-correct that is not correct. Another tool that writers can use is text to voiceContinue reading “Text to Speech”
I’m a full time writer! well sort of
For the next two weeks, I’m a full time writer. I’ve taken vacation from my day job, since the judge is out of town and I don’t have to worry about missing court hearings or finding coverage it is the best time for me to take vacation as well. Of course, I will have aContinue reading “I’m a full time writer! well sort of”
Structuring Your Novel: Part Three
The motivation-reaction unit (MRU) helps writer’s structure sentences and scenes alike. It is a way of thinking about the cause and effect relationship of incidents within your story. Many writers place the effect before the cause, which makes readers slow down and think about what happened. Even a seconds slowing can distract and/or confuse aContinue reading “Structuring Your Novel: Part Three”
Fighting For A Chance To Dream 