February, being Black History Month, I’ve listed a few authors that have not only taught me, but inspired me. 1950 Gwendlyn Brooks was the first black author to win a Pulitzer Prize. She received the prize for her poetry collection, Annie Allen. https://stacker.com Alice Walker is an activist and author best known for her critically…
Tag: the writing life
Starting a ‘Writing Habit’ Isn’t Easy
I’ve reached the point of desperation in my efforts to start and maintain a writing schedule. With the new year, I had hoped to begin writing for a few hours during the early morning, like 8:00 am to 10:30 am, before telemarketers, postmen, emails, and neighbors filled my day. In December, I told myself I…
Novel vs Novella
When a reader picks up a book they are already gearing up for the story inside. They are soaking in knowledge before they even pull it off the shelf. The color, the height, the genre, and then when they do pull it off the shelves, that’s when the fun begins. Once that book is in…
Writing with Purpose & Passion in 2024
I’ve written two novels and interviewed several hundred debut authors for my podcast so beginning writers often ask me for advice. And while the internet is filled with solid guidelines on showing vs. telling, write what you know, and overcoming writer’s block, there are other important things that aren’t talked about as often. As we…
Gaining Writing Energy from Movies
As a romance writer, you can bet your bottom dollar that I love my romance movies. Give me a good Rom-Com and a drink in my hand and I am set for hours. Over Thanksgiving I was fortunate to be able to stay home and catch up on some quirky romance movies that I had…