In every writing workshop I conduct, the topic of using swear words in teen fiction is a huge issue of debate, with people as polarized over the subject as the American legislature on the Affordable Healthcare Act. And I have to say, I've found both sides (on the swear word debate) to have valid reasons for... Continue Reading →
The curse of good writing
This past week, I finally got around to reading John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. I had high expectations, because of the buzz, of course. And the book met those expectations, except, not exactly in the way I expected. Here's the thing. It's hard for me to love a sad book. But this novel... Continue Reading →
The craft of writing – Always a learning process
I love to write. I always have. In the first grade, I wrote a story about a princess tiger who takes a cloud train back to the zoo. The concept was a little strange, to say the least, and the illustration, was, uh, imaginative. But if nothing else, I like to look at the homemade book to remind myself of... Continue Reading →
My next big thing – or rather, two things
Generally, I like to play my "next big thing" ideas close to my chest, but I was asked to join this blog hop by the talented Paulette Rae, so I decided I'd tell you a little bit about the two books that will complete the Teen Mobster Series. If you haven't read Accidental Mobster, well, you... Continue Reading →
Rules for opening the story (easier to read than follow!)
In Twilight, the carry on was a parka. In Harry Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley were perfectly normal. And in Hunger Games, the other side of the bed was cold. These are the openers for three books that have taken both the publishing world and Hollywood by storm. While the stories have grabbed the minds and hearts of... Continue Reading →
Finding the Write Time
Hey! Just let it go, alright? I can hear you groaning over my poor pun of a title. Whatever. The thing is, you know exactly what I'm talking about here, right? How can the not-quite-full-time novelist make more time for writing? The answer is she (or he) digs around in her day and finds a few spare... Continue Reading →
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