So the same old reds and greens are giving you the blues. You want to make your settings more vibrant, but you just don't know where to start. Wake up, and open your eyes. Color is everywhere, and it's the easiest way to add a little pizzazz to an otherwise bland description. Choose the right
You've finally typed those two magic words, "The End." Now, you're ready to (cringe!) share your masterpiece with the world. And suddenly there are two new words to master--two words that strike terror deep into the heart of all would be (and even some established) writers. Every agent, every publishing house, everyone but your Aunt
It arrived like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, on the gossamer wings of angels singing "Alleluia." Okay, not quite. It actually came to me the day my daughter said, "My teacher thinks my book reports are too light, and I don't put enough information in them. What am I doing wrong?" Well, I
From the day I first discovered her lurking in my head, my muse, Gertrude, and I shared a terrific relationship. That is, until recently. After five blissful years and seven and a half completed manuscripts, Gertrude took an unapproved vacation. No warning, no disagreement to precipitate her departure. One day she was there, the next
Whenever anyone finds out I'm a romance writer, there are two questions that invariably pop up. One: "Where do you get your ideas?" and two: "Do you ever base your characters on real people?" I can as easily answer the first question as explain where aluminum comes from. But the second can be confirmed with
"I wish I could do that!" "Were you funny as a child?" "Where do you come up with your ideas?" I hear those comments every time someone learns I write romantic comedies. These are my stock answers: You can, if you put your mind to it. No, but I grew up in a household filled
Ah, February. The shortest month of the year. Yet, its twenty-eight days are chock-full of events. There are groundhogs, cupids, and presidents to celebrate. February is Black History Month, Children’s Dental Health Month, Library Lovers’ Month, and yes, even Grapefruit Month. Within its mere four weeks, you can celebrate Burn Awareness Week, Consumer Protection Week,
Some people do it face-to-face; others prefer doing it online. Let's talk critiques. As I'm sure you're aware, a successful critique group isn't about getting a few friends together once a week for a communal pat-on-the-back. Cerridwen Press author Sydney Laine Allan (About Monday, release date September 2005) said it best. "When I was a
