characters writing tips

Only You Can Tell Your Stories — Writing from Your Experiences

I was recently asked — what do you bring to your story that no one else can? It got me thinking. Where do my ideas for characters come from? They come from my experiences. One new character in this sequel to The Invisibles is based on my unusual family of origin. When we were in our teens, my brother and I were joined in our family home by two troubled teenagers. They were high school…

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4 Kinds of Great First Lines – Novels

I’ve been looking at lists of great first lines — in novels, poems, plays, essays. Most lists online include classics. I like the lists with a theme, such as Funniest First Lines. When I’m browsing books and looking inside, the first thing I notice is whether the first line is a hook or teaser style. Most lists of great first lines tend to emphasize that approach, summing up of the story ahead with a cliffhanger.…

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Character development writing tips

Creating Characters in Springtime

Spring equinox I’ve forgotten to count the atmospheric rivers that have gushed across the San Francisco Bay Area, but the incredible deluge seems to have sparked a lot of literary ideas for me. When the 50 mph winds are bending trees sideways and sinkholes are appearing in the roads, it’s a subtle hint that you have nowhere better to go than your writing desk. I’ve cradled my laptop many of these dark, rainy mornings. I’m…

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So You Dream of Being a Writer

Story of a Young Writer One of the joys of having a writer website is hearing from aspiring writters. Recently I received an email from a librarian and teacher who has a very special student — a girl who dreams of being a writer. At an early age, she shows seriousnes about pursuing her dream of writing. At 12 years old, about the age I got serious about my dream, this girl has not only…

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A Writerly Adventure in the Hospital

I recently had a surprising writerly adventure. The scare of a possible stroke sent me to the Emergency Department with a smile that didn’t work and a droopy eyelid. My emergency visit became a two-day hospital stay for testing. Though our local hospital is one of the best, I was not a happy camper to be yanked out of home and interrupted in the midst of editing my novel. Plus, I was iscared of what…

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Writing Tip — How to Write Good Love Scenes

Writing Love Scenes Some of the most challenging writing is creating compelling love scenes. Originality and emotion are the keys to selling a love scene. Readers will instantly be put off by predictability and cliches. What position does the love story occupy in the overall story arc? In a romance, the love story is the big story. In other genres — women’s fiction, mystery, thriller — it may be a sub-plot. They’d be handled differently…

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Writing Tip: Is It Romance or Women’s Fiction?

Is It Romance or Women’s Fiction? The overlap between romance and women’s fiction is a juicy territory. It’s where characters grow deeper, learn more about why love is important, and develop into better human beings. The story may show how they plunge off a looming cliff of disaster but grow wings as they fall. In the overlap between romance and women’s fiction, a story involves the main character’s growth as a person.

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How to Choose Amazon Fiction Categories

Choosing the best Amazon categories for your novel is perhaps the hardest step in marketing a book, after choosing the title and cover. But it may be one of the most important factors in making your book discoverable. Amazon is the largest sales platform for books, and there are approximately 11,000 categories to choose from.

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Unlikely Writing Places for Inspiration

Unlikely writing places for insiration? I’ve got tons. I write best in unlikely places, and I’m always looking for new ones. I’m also a peripatetic writer: Have Laptop Will Travel. Soemtimes changing where you write changes everything about what you write. Weird ones that work for me: the shower (I need a waterproof phone), my inside stairs (Christopher Robin complex?), the closet (see the movie THE MUSE). Yours?

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