Brace yourself. Based on my highly unscientific survey of some fellow writers, there’s a good chance you’ve been formatting your paragraphs wrong. It’s not your fault—you can blame the default settings in your word processor. Although I’ve been writing professionally for many (MANY) years, I only recently learned that editors and publishers absolutely hate when…
In the past decade, several serial platforms for writers have arisen, including Wattpad, Amazon Vella, Radish, and Fictionate. This article will interview one author who has garnered considerable success on Vella. You can read more about how Vella works and catch up on my last interview here. Since I also publish regularly on Amazon Vella,…
Inventing a character seems pretty basic. You give him (or her, or it) a name, you visualize a face, maybe even conjure up a voice. Not just a literary voice, but a real one, one you can actually hear. You develop mannerisms, manufacture a backstory, and–then what? Throw your character into a situation, of course….
How many of us writers are perfectionists? Oh, look, all of us. Honestly, who sits down to create the most mediocre story possible? Striving to write something great isn’t the problem. The issue arises when we demand greatness immediately, in the first draft. The next time you find yourself paralyzed by lofty literary ambitions or…
Okay, I’ll be honest. Until the past few years, when I heard the term, AI, I thought it meant, Artificial Insemination. Seriously. I’ve worked around cattle…and…well…. I’ve gotten over that little communication hitch. What Is Artificial Intelligence? A = Artificial = false, fake, bogus, simulated, faux, imitated, mimic, counterfeit. I = Intelligence = Intellect, aptitude,…