Cutting Extra Words by Leeann Betts
So you've finished your novel and check the word count - yikes! What should have been a 90,000-word novel is now a 112,000-word tome. As writers, we love every single one of those words, so how can we possibly think of taking any out?. We can't. But we must. Not only [...]
Marriage – The REAL Story
March 15, 2005 – I stopped at the mall to chat with one of my best friends while she worked at the coffee shop. In walks a tall, hairy, mountain man with crow’s feet and crystal blue eyes. Eight months later I married the red neck. November 26, 2016 – [...]
The 3 R’s of Research by Michelle Griep
When I first started writing fiction, I didn't think much about accuracy. I mean, come on, it's fiction for crying out loud! Aren't things supposed to be made up? Isn't that what the word fiction implies? Ignoring fact might work for fantasy, but not for historical fiction. You'll be crucified [...]
7 Ways to Add Tension without Ruining Your Characters
Have you ever been in a restaurant when the people next to you started arguing? Talk about awkward tension. Putting a fight or argument into your story is a great way to add tension, but if you rely solely on personal confrontation, you’ll end up with annoying characters who fight [...]
Book Review: Just a Kiss (A Summer Harbor Novel) by Denise Hunter
Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan. Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, [...]