Writers, I know how it is. You need to write a hopeful beginning, an upbeat scene where two friends meet, an adorable date, a triumphant moment, or a happy ending. And you need to get into the right mood. Here’s an uplifting playlist to help you feel happy and put that happiness down on the page. It has an overall
Category: Writing Matters
Hey! I am giving this post a content warning for brief references to suicidal ideation, abuse, rape, and child rape and sexual assault. If you have PTSD from these experiences and you’re not having a good day today, please give it a pass. Take care of yourself! One of the big questions that comes up for writers is, “Is it
People have been asking me for this list for such a long time! If you write horror, suspense, mystery, or any kind of fiction with a scary scenes, you need to know how to describe fear. This list can get you started. It’s a lot of phrases describing fear, including physical reactions, physical sensations, facial expressions, and other words you
If you have a website, a blog, a tumblr, or an Instagram account that you approach in a semi-professional or artistic way, you might want to figure out your brand colors or create a personal color palette. It can tie everything together, make design decisions easier, and convey who you are. I’m not a designer, and I know some of
In my day job in publishing, whenever we’re discussing a new story, one thing we’re often asking is, “What’s the character arc?” (It’s also a reason we pass on a lot of stories: “I don’t understand his arc.”) Without a strong character arc, the reader (or the editor) may be left thinking, “So what? Why should I care?” Simply put, the
My novel The Equinox Stone features a hero who suffers from retrograde amnesia. Because I wanted to do a good job writing about amnesia, I did a lot of research on types of amnesia, symptoms, treatment, and causes (even though in my character’s case, the cause is not something that could ever happen in real life. I hope.) I hope
Around this time of year, a lot of people are looking for good graduation gifts. A book is an ideal gift for an educational milestone. If you want to be a little more generous, but you’re still looking for graduation gifts under $100 or under $50, you can give a book and add a $20 bill or two. Maybe write