A lot of writers struggle with describing settings. I’ve written before about how to describe settings and why it matters, but a few people have told me they’d like me to do some of my master lists for writers to help them out! I have a weird love for creating lists like this, so I’m happy to do it. “How

Updated for 2023. When I lived in Kansas, my husband and I had a flower garden. We planted all kinds of flowers, annuals and perennials. The spring and early summer flowers—tulips, peonies, irises—were lovely, but they didn’t bloom for long. I loved the garden in August, when the zinnias, black-eyed Susans, and Russian sage were in full force. A thunderstorm

Hi friends! I’m writing this post at SleuthFest, a terrific writers’ conference for mystery and thriller writers. As an acquiring editor, I’ve spent hours here hearing novel pitches and chatting with writers. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I love talking with fiction writers about their projects, so I enjoyed it. Writing conferences often set up

My author blog changed my life, and it became a project and a passion unto itself. When writers I know consider starting a blog, I always encourage them to do it! However, people sometimes tell me they don’t know how to start a blog because they won’t have enough ideas for blog topics. And “What should I write about on

Hi friends! I’m so excited that it’s the official release day for 5,000 WRITING PROMPTS: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More !     Here’s where you can get it (or just read more about it): Paperback or Kindle, Amazon US Paperback or Kindle, Amazon UK Paperback or Kindle, Amazon Canada eBook, iTunes Nook, Barnes and

Hi friends! Welcome to another WIP Wednesday! If you’re wondering what WIP Wednesday is, well, you must be new here. Welcome! It’s an opportunity to share your writing. On the first Wednesday of every month, I post an excerpt of a work in progress and invite you to do the same in the comments section below. There are some ground