I was a new blogger on WordPress. I didn’t know much about the site, but I had moved over from Blogger because it would make things easier for sharing my books and such. (It also gave me assurance that my site wouldn’t be deleted without warning.) In the first months I was doing all right. […]
3 Things Every Story Needs
If you have ever written a story you might know these, but how important do you think they really are? No matter what story you are writing, no matter how long or short it is, there are three key parts to a story. If you are missing one of them your story will be lacking […]
6 Research Tips
I’ve had many people ask me how I do my research and what I use. Here are 6 (+1 bonus) things that I’ve found very helpful when I’m writing historical fiction. Biographies – Not everyone enjoys biographies, but a good one about someone who lived during the time you want to write about can really […]
WriteMind Planner–Part 2
There’s a lot to be said about these planners! Not only are they great for writers (check out last week’s post), but I love using mine for other things. It’s just nice to have everything in one place. It’s not quite my “brain” but it comes close. Ready? Don’t you just love that colorful pocket? […]
WriteMind Planner–Part 1
I didn’t think I’d use it. I wasn’t a planner. But it looked so fun. Perhaps, well, just maybe I would use it – some. Yes, those were my thoughts about the WriteMind Planner when Perry first introduced us to her new writer’s notebook. It took a while before I decided to get one for […]
Pocket Calendars and . . . Writing?
Do you ever get free pocket sized calendars in the mail? Have you ever used them with your writing? Okay, I haven’t lost it. Not really, anyway. And I haven’t turned from a pantser to a planner. So, what exactly do I do with these calendars? Let me show you. They don’t have to be […]
She Saved My Sanity
Once upon a time I became an author. I wrote books. Long novels, shorter novellas, stories, and more. I could tell my stories and write them with feeling. I learned how to format and design covers. I explored and figured out many of the things in the self-publishing world. But one thing caused trouble. Synopsis. […]
Cover Design Tips 102
I wasn’t able to get all the cover design tips that I had in one post, so here’s a second one. I know there are so many tips and suggestions. And not everyone is going to agree with everything, but hopefully these tips will help you create a stunning cover. Note: These are NOT real […]
Cover Design Tips 101
After publishing so many books and short stories, I’ve learned some things about designing my own covers. (I can’t always pay someone else to design them.) Sometimes the covers come easily and I’m done. Other times I have to try and try again. There have been times when I’ve started over from scratch because it […]
Managing Goodreads
Do you ever feel like Goodreads is controlling your life? Do you sometimes wonder if this site for books is really Facebook in disguise? Have you ever thought that you might have to leave Goodreads because of the arguments/debates (even in so-called fun) that pop up? Are you ever tired of rants about politics? Do […]