Outlines and Timelines are useful tools for plotters, planners, and other type A writers.

Foundational documents are the baseline, off-the-page information I must know about my novels’ community, characters, and time frame with which the story takes place.

When more time is not the solution to your writing problem, it could be because -- in some ways -- it’s just a different type of procrastination problem.

Being a published author means I have to regularly confront the scariest part of being a human – being critiqued.  Recently, I read my first truly brutal book review of something I wrote. In the category of roses and thorns in the book business, this was definitely a thorn.

While watching The Residence’s consulting detective Cordelia Cupp explain the details of the many birds she adored and obsessed over and how they connected to the suspects, I turned to Hubs and said, “This is not the kind of mystery writer that I am. I hope you are aware of that.” 

There are few shows about writers on television, and those we have live somewhat unrealistic lifestyles, writers have to find their TV inspiration from a variety of sources.  Here is my list of best TV shows for aspiring writers that show writers doing the work.

Writers -- particularly indie authors -- sometimes have to do things they really don’t want to do. They have to be read, reviewed, ask people for blurbs, show up and beg people to buy their book, manage their own publicity, and be rejected over and over again.

One of the great things about being an instructor is hearing the words that emerge from my students mouths. Sometimes adorable, sometimes...

I don’t use files like that in my writing space. I prefer binders. When I work on a novel, I will keep all my notes in a binder. Primarily s