Since my post giving A Basic Guide to Twitter Pitches, I've been back in the trenches with the March 2019 #Pitmad pitch party. It's a much larger, more general event than #SFFPit, with books pitched from all age groups and genres. But even though I came away without an invitation to query an agent, I … Continue reading 3 Lessons from #Pitmad
No, People Won’t Like Your Book
I was browsing Twitter yesterday, and came across a post from someone I really admire. They were complaining about romance arcs in mystery novels, and vice-versa. I looked at my fresh new fragile baby of a first novel, which has both mystery and romance arcs, and winced. The rest of the conversation was a series … Continue reading No, People Won’t Like Your Book
Character Development: Asking, “Why?”
When I read a novel, I can sometimes tell when the author really struggled to get into their antagonist's head. The antagonist is either a vague puppet moving to the convenience of the author, or a flat caricature of a human being. One of the most common questions I ask while reading these books is, … Continue reading Character Development: Asking, “Why?”
5 Things That Make Me Stop Reading
Let me start out by saying that this is an entirely subjective post. If anyone looks up their favorite book on Amazon or Goodreads, they'll probably find a few one and two-star reviews, because everyone's taste is different. So as a reader, I don't claim that my opinions are at all universal. That said, I'm … Continue reading 5 Things That Make Me Stop Reading
The Many Right Ways to Fall in Love
As a writer, I love me some slow-burn, will they/won't they, long sighs and significant glances romance. But as a reader, I don't understand the pushback against what many call "instalove." Love at first sight. Soulmates. The characters lay eyes on each other and just know. People deride it as unbelievable, and even lazy writing. … Continue reading The Many Right Ways to Fall in Love
A Basic Guide to Twitter Pitch Parties
If you're a writer on Twitter, every now and then your feed is going to blow up with book blurbs for a day. If you're wondering what the heck is going on, the answer is...a pitch party. This is an event where writers share a one-tweet length description of a completed book, in hopes of … Continue reading A Basic Guide to Twitter Pitch Parties
Three Twitter Tips for New Writers
Whether you are traditionally or independently published, a strong social media presence is widely considered an asset for a writer. Marketing aside, connecting with writers, agents, and editors online is a great way to learn how to navigate the writing ropes. However, a focused approach can help you make the most of your Twitter presence, … Continue reading Three Twitter Tips for New Writers
All the World’s a Stage…And your Characters Should Act Like it!
Technically a lot of things make up a really good book. But as a reader, I will forgive an author many plot and style problems. The one thing I can't get past is the characters. Good characters can make an atrociously bad premise readable. Bad characters can render the most meticulous world-building pointless. The thing … Continue reading All the World’s a Stage…And your Characters Should Act Like it!
The Psychology of Editing in Comic Sans
This advice has been floating around Twitter and writing blogs for some time now. When you reach the editing stage of your book, converting the text to the Comic Sans font can help you catch those last elusive typos. For some, this may not be worth the pain of having to look at Comic Sans. … Continue reading The Psychology of Editing in Comic Sans
Welcome to my Blog!
Reviews of favorites from my reading list, along with writing tips and advice, beta reading pet peeves, and other tools I pick up along my journey to trad publication.