• It's easy to stick to what you know when writing. If your manuscript is starting to feel bland, here are some tips to spark a visual experience to your r...

    How to Create a Visual Experience in Your Writing

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    When writing, it’s so easy to get bogged down with dialogue, plot lines, verb tense, and comma placement. We can get so caught up with that we can forget to push our creative boundaries. Becoming fixated on punctuation can cause our descriptions to go flat. Other times, we may avoid using symbolism in writing because it feels too advanced for the current writing level. It’s easy to stick to what you know. If your manuscript is starting to feel like dialogue mixed in with a bunch of bland back story, give symbolism, description, and color a try. Here are our…

  • The big question on every writer’s mind right now is: “Do I write about pandemic COVID-19 in my next book?" Here’s the answer:...

    Should You Include The Pandemic COVID-19 In Your Next Book?

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    The big question on every writer’s mind right now is: “Do I write about pandemic COVID-19 in my next book?” Here’s the answer: You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Fiction readers choose books that most often help them escape their realities. So, if a reader is trying to escape the reality of the coronavirus, a novel that doesn’t talk about the virus is more palatable for them. On the other hand, there are readers who are going to want to read all about COVID-19 because it helps them see the pandemic from other people’s viewpoints. The real…

  • This is your crash course to the pre-writing process of a fiction story. Follow our checklist, and you’ll feel more confident and prepared when it comes...

    A Pre-Writing Checklist for Fiction Writers

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    Hyping yourself up to write a book is a lot like getting in the right frame of mind to start a new workout routine. First, the determination takes hold. “I am going to start right now.” Then, self-doubt takes over. “I have no idea where to start.” So, this is your crash course to the pre-writing process. Follow our checklist, and you’ll feel more confident and prepared when it comes time to start writing. 1. Develop your elevator pitch, also known as a premise. Your premise should mention of your protagonist, his or her goal, and the situation that will…

  • A common mistake my editing eye has picked up on is the use of filler words. These words elongate your book but don't advance your story. Here are 10 wor...

    10 Words to Cut From Your Manuscript

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    Editing your own writing will never be the easiest part of the writing journey, but knowing what to look for can make the task a whole lot simpler. Working with the publishing company Xulon Press for a decade now has taught me a lot to say the least. A common mistake my editing eye has picked up on is what I like to call the use of filler words. Excessive use of these words elongates your manuscript but does not advance your story.  As a rule of thumb, avoid using words that end in -ly, such as quickly, readily, suddenly,…