The angst. There is a substantial possibility I’m of the rare variety of writer who harnesses performance anxiety into hyper-performance. There is a unique variation on a familiar saying: “Do what you love, and you’ll work super hard all the time with no separation or boundaries and also take everything extremely personal.” This statement is likely true for…
Category: General Interest
That Time of Year
This month, I want to talk mental health. Don’t get me wrong—I love autumn. We get a break from the heat. The weather’s usually bright and sunny. The trees cloak themselves in color. The downside comes as the days get shorter, and seasonal affective disorder begins rearing its ugly head. Yes, SAD is a recognized…
How to Write Authentic African-American Characters: The African-American Church
I went to my fifth Colorado Gold Conference this year and had an absolute blast. I taught two classes, as well. How to Write Compelling Villains was super fun to teach (I mean, as fun as an 8 a.m. class can be to teach on Sunday morning). The other class I taught was How to…
DEEP POV Lesson 3 – A Few More Rules
Here’s one of my favorite scenes from the Queen of DEEP POV, Suzanne Brockmann. Love being deep in Max’s head as he reacts to sour milk while talking on the phone. Good stuff. Suz could have said: Crap. Max looked at the milk carton and read the expiration date. Suz could have said: He’d taken…
Word of Mouth Goes Viral
What makes a bestseller? That question has tormented authors and the publishing industry for years. The best explanation I’ve heard came from an editor who used to regularly attend the Colorado Gold conference: “God smiles.” Of course, that isn’t very helpful. Creating a bestseller involves a lot of factors, few of which are under the…