You finally type those final two words – THE END – and sit back in your chair, put your hands behind your head, and let out a deep sigh. The manuscript is done. You’ve revised the plot, you’ve deepened the characters, you’ve proofread each line and corrected the typos and the dangling participles. But believe…
We all know we need to calibrate our daily activities so we don’t allow work to overwhelm us and take over our world. At the same time, if all we’re doing is cooking exotic dishes and watching NetFlix instead of spending time doing stuff that pays the bills, sooner or later, we’ll get fired/lose that…
Because my first book publishes in March, I’ve been approached for a few months now to speak at various events, primarily on the subject of debut novels and my journey to publication. None of these venues have offered to pay me, though others on the panels are being paid either a speaking fee or given…
I’m a first-born. So of course my parents thought I walked on water (until my siblings came along at least) and they sent me a clear message—I could be anything I wanted if I put my mind to it. The trouble was I heard it wrong. I thought they said I could be everything I…
Ever find yourself wondering why you’re writing a particular story? Out of all the myriad tales out there, why do certain themes seem to pop up in your fiction more often than others? Why, when you analyze the themes you gravitate to, do they bear a startling similarity? Maybe you find yourself writing about the…