January 20, 2022

Interview with Jinn Zamayla: Philippine Jewel

“As a writer, I believe that even though I am new to the world of publishing short stories, I have the passion, love, dedication, and desire to bring out the best writing that I have to the world and touch the lives of people through my writing.”
December 8, 2021

Writing Tip: Create Character Bios

Writing a character biography can be one of the most helpful things to do when writing a book. In fact, those character bios about your primary and secondary characters may very well be the best tool for creating the perfect twists and turns for your plot to keep your readers engag
December 2, 2021

The Land is My Muse: Interview with Author Emily MacKenzie

“I personally adore almost anything fantasy or science fiction, and have a hard time sticking with a book that has no magic unless it’s an alternate world or universe. I think stories with a romantic plot, and even sub-plot, are drastically overdone and cliché, and eagerly search for books that focus less on the fictional idealised notions of love.”
November 30, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 30: Winning NaNoWriMo

You've done it. You've pushed and pushed, writing thousands of words each week, making it to this day - November 30, 2021. You've written like mad, and today, as you enter that last update, you'll taste that sweet victory of winning NaNoWriMo.
November 29, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 29: Using Landscape for Inspiration

Whether you're into city living, country living, or that in-between suburbanite, landscape is a huge part of writing. Not only is it critical for helping our readers establish physical aspects of our writing universes, but the landscape can be an inspiration for storytelling.
November 26, 2021

NaNoWriMo 2021 Day 26: Legacies Or Something Close

A popular misconception exists that “The Next Great American Novel” can lift any feeble, impoverished writer from the mire to Hollywood or at least the White House. But alas, the creation of something incredible does not alone crown peasants kings.
November 24, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 24: Ways to Keep the Inspiration Going

Usually, when I cross the 30,000-word mark each year, my inspiration for NaNoWriMo begins to wane. So, I thought it might be good to work through some of the things I do to keep the inspiration going. I hope my workarounds are things that help keep your motivation flowing all November long!
November 23, 2021

NaNoWriMo 2021 Day 23: Writing Sprints to Break Through Writer’s Block

All writers at some point in their writing career will face a blockade – the dreaded writer’s block. And though, yes, I agree with Jim Butcher on this sentiment, “I don’t have writer’s block. I have a mortgage,” we don’t all have that motivator when it comes to writing our fiction...
November 20, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 20: Writing Prompts for Pushing Through

This year, I couldn’t decide which novel to write, so I gave myself some leeway in choosing one to start with, then the option to jump to the next ones after I complete the first. This gave me the freedom to prioritize without eliminating the possibility of working on the other four I really wanted to write this year. But as the last third of the month hits, ideas can wane, and inspiration poop out. So, I, like many of you, need some good solid writing prompts.
November 19, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 19: Falling in Love

You’ve been at this for 18 days now. Writing, writing, pushing, pulling, breaking, mending - drafting your NaNoWriMo 2021 novel. Well, by now, you may have come to absolutely love your main characters, or you may hate them. But if you’re not feeling that strongly about them, you might need to take a pause in the storytelling and spend some time falling in love with your lead (or falling in hate, if that villain just isn’t doing it for you).
November 18, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 18: The Power of Words

None of these are inherently good or bad. Some people will run wild with your validating words and, intentional or not, harm others in their own “freedom.” Others may rejoice and find healing. The reader’s response is not on you to determine. You cannot force anyone to do anything.
November 16, 2021

NaNoWriMo Day 16: Get That Heart Pumping

If you’re still working away at your NaNoWriMo novel right now, I challenge you to make the following thousand words really count. Tell your readers every smell, every touch, every sound and sight, every flavor in the scene. 
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