Trope Denied! NOT Running from an Arranged Marriage

When the heroine is forced to marry an anti-hero, but instead of hatching an elaborate but doomed escape plan, she recognizes running is not an option

Writing like a Control Freak

As a writer, I'm a ruler-wielding, bespectacled School Mistress of Pain .... But once the books are out there, it's not as if I can rap readers' knuckles as they turn the pages.

Self-Destructive Underestimation

I am the worst at predicting how many words my stories and novels will be When I decided on a plot concept for an anthology submission, I worried about making the 8,000 word minimum. Today, the day of the deadline, I had to cut 1,000 words to make the 15,000 word maximum. The story was …

Sticking with the Novel

I used to flit from story idea to story idea like a stereotypical player hooking up with the next tight-skirted, doe-eyed co-ed who flirted by ... Feeling a bit like an addict trying to break a habit, I employed several tricks to hold myself accountable and stay focused:

Studying a Novel like it’s a Textbook

Critical Editing Worksheet A novel is a biography on its characters and a historical, geographical, cultural outline of its universe. Is all the necessary information given to the readers? Download a PDF of this Worksheet INSTRUCTIONS While reading, highlight or take notes on the key facts Advanced: Differentiate between world-building facts, setting details, and character …