The other week, I got a letter from an old friend back in Kansas City. He wrote about his relationships, his life, and his musings. It was lovely to sit down and read it. Although I’ll be a little late in replying, I’m going to write him a letter back today and get it in the mail tomorrow. Now, we’re
Hi, everyone, and if you’re new, welcome to my blog about writing and positivity! It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which is WIP Wednesday around here. It’s a time when I share an excerpt of a work in progress and you do the same in the comments section below. It can be from a novel, a short story, other
A couple of weeks back, I wrote this post about the importance of rewarding yourself when you’re trying to start a good habit…or break a bad habit. This is basic brain science. Naturally, good habits can be their own reward, but most of us benefit from extra reinforcement. So as a great philosopher once said, “Treat yo self!” One reader
Hi, friends! Today, I’m tackling a question a couple of readers have asked me lately: How can I get better at description? This is a great question! First of all, I’ll talk about why descriptive writing is important. It’s not only to make sure your novel is actually a full-length novel and not a novella, although some people who come
Just in the past few days, I’ve been started a daily healthy habit. It got me thinking about a friend of mine. Whenever I’m pursuing a goal or making a change, she asks me, “How are you going to reward yourself?” I never have a good answer for her. Usually, I think attaining the goal or making the change will
This post contains spoilers for my novel The Phoenix Codex. Just thought you should know! Hey, everyone! Happy 4th of July to my U.S. readers! I am so sorry that this is going up in the middle of the afternoon instead of first thing in the morning, like usual. The holiday threw me off, since I usually work during the
Hello! Welcome back to my series about writer worries, where I chat about common writer questions. (If you’re interested in other posts in the series, you can read about “What If Someone Steals My Ideas?” and “How Do I Know If My Writing Is Good?” Lots of writers worry about whether it’s okay to write about their subject matter. Here