An exercise on creating memorable characters pt. 1
An exciting concept, an authentic and fresh voice, a unique setting, beautiful writing—there are a number of reasons to give manuscripts a second look. Personally, one of my favorites is […]
An exercise on creating memorable character pt.2
In the last post, we looked at three markers of a memorable character: strength, conviction and values, and desire and need. In this post, we’ll look at inner conflict, self-regard, […]
The Wall of Words
So, the truth is, I read a lot of writing samples. A lot. And sometimes, when I get going on a stack of them, I recognize the same problem over […]
BOOMERANG, Con’t
Read my interview with co-author Lorin Oberweger here. Yesterday, Lorin mentioned in our interview that she hopes her readers see themselves in the characters—and I do. Particularly Mia, although my financial […]
In the dating game, play to win.
Hello, readers! This week, I’m featuring the awesome New Adult novel that my boss, independent book editor Lorin Oberweger, co-wrote with Veronica Rossi. But before you ask: No, I’m not getting paid for this, and […]
Villains are people too
Let’s talk bad guys. Antagonists. Big evil villains who are going to do something Very Bad if they’re not stopped. I’ve met dozens of them since the year started, and […]
Nothin’ scary about live literary combat. Except everything.
So, last weekend, I did this event. It’s called the Lucha Libro Literary Death Match, and it’s about as terrifying as it sounds. Think prompt competition, sudden death style. Two […]
Don’t panic! It’s just writer’s block.
An illness struck me last week and the week before that, which, as you may have noticed, made it difficult for me to write a blog post. By difficult, I […]
Cat-a-pult – v. To launch (something) as if with a catapult
As a writer and editor, I often find myself tucked away from the world, or else submersed in it anonymously at my neighborhood coffee shop. But wouldn’t it be awesome […]
What can I tell you, baby? I’ve always been bad.
I’ve got a confession: I’m a sucker for redemption stories. Give me your flawed, your misguided, your self-centered and your downright evil—I’ll take them, just so long as they’re stumbling […]
New Girls in the Pub 