I've been struggling with my antagonist. That might sound like a normal situation--antagonists create conflict--but my challenge is l...

Thanks to Rita who sent  the link  for this week's writing exercise.  Scan these best endings and pick your favorite.  Why do you love ...

Writing a book--writing anything--is by necessity a solitary practice.  We are by ourselves with our words at first, generating them in a...

Here's a great definition of interior monologue:  "a conversation a character is having with themselves, internally."  Read...

One of my students is writing his first novel, a work of historical fiction that he has researched carefully.  He became interested in th...

As a journalist for several decades, I was taught well by my editors how to wrap up an article, interview, or column.  Leave the reader w...

Marie, a blog reader, has been working on her storyboard and organizing her chapters, using the three act system that is so helpful for s...

Book journeys are divided into very distinct experiences:  the creation of the book and the selling of the manuscript.  Many writers stru...

Realtors know that location is everything in buying or selling property.  Try to sell a house that's near a busy highway or high tensio...

If you have any love for the refining and shaping process of making a book, revision can be much anticipated.  I'm not talking about ...