Regency romance, romantic mysteries, & writing tips too.
In a recently writers’ group meeting the five of us who are fighting the battle of the indie author discussed why we feel that we’re “not doing enough.” When you’re an indie, there’s just you. You make all the decisions, and if your self-publishing program falters or flounders, you may feel that it’s all your … Read more
If you’re writing fiction, sooner or later someone will tell you that your flashbacks are unnecessary — they’re ruining your novel. That’s because your flashbacks bring your story to a halt. They kill the pace of your novel, and you lose readers. Readers just want to know what happens next. They don’t care what happened … Read more
What if you could write a novel which pre-sold your next novel? And future novels too? A series of novels can do that. Series fiction is hugely popular. For an example, look no further than the uber-successful Harry Potter series. There’s big challenge in writing a series of novels however: plotting. Plotting fiction is challenging … Read more
Got a novel you’ve set on the backburner? Perhaps you have an almost-done novel, or a novel you started and gave up on. There’s no need to give up: you can rescue your novel, and complete it. I’m currently rescuing a half-completed novel; I stopped writing it when I got busy in the weeks … Read more
Do you love writing fiction, but hate writing outlines? This can present real challenges. I’m a pantser, so minimal outlines suit me. I have a trick which will help you to create a minimal outline which will not only help you to write your ebook (or book, same thing), but will also help you to … Read more
Our writers’ group met for the first time in 2017. Our discussion centered on plotting fiction and subplots. My own challenge with subplots is that they multiply like weeds. Before I know it, I’ve got half a dozen story threads which could be subplots, and my main plot’s vanished in the mayhem. Other writers in … Read more