When wanting to write a book, no doubt the question of genre pops into your mind. Genre is simply a way to categorize books, and I don’t necessarily see it as a box that holds books inside. It’s more of a way to describe what you’re writing, so people can get a feel for what…
You’ve had this idea for a book, done some planning, and now you are staring down the first page. I’ve been there. Each time I’ve written a first chapter has taught me something new about first chapters, book writing, and how to draw the reader in. Today we are going to talk about how to…
If you are anything like me, and tend to start plenty of first drafts, you have been on the brink of starting a first chapter. But maybe this is your first time writing a book. All of us can agree that preparing to write the first chapter is something that can change our story. I…
Being a pantser myself, plotting books is something that tends to be a rather brief affair. But that doesn’t mean the plotting stage is for nothing. I know that you may be thinking “if she is a pantser, why is she plotting at all?”. But although I don’t call myself a plotter, there is always…
New book ideas are such fun. They always make me realize why I love writing so much, and what this journey is all about. Writing can start to feel like labour, simply a number of words we have to get down, or a goal we need to reach by the end of the month. New…
I have never plotted my books ever since the beginning. From being a child, writing little stories down on paper, to now – nothing has driven me on like not knowing what will happen next in my story. I want to tell you the top ten things I love about NOT plotting my books. But…
Really, this is the question that plagues all us writers. Why does our book even matter? Why should we write it? Is all the planning, writing, revising, editing, learning, publishing ordeals even worth it? Writing a book is such a lot of hard work, and not something that is to be underestimated. I think those…
I am a lover of romantic things – but more the Pride and Prejudice type of romantic than Hollywood romantic. I do think there’s a difference! What is it about Pride and Prejudice, A Room With a View, and Far From the Madding Crowd that draws us in and has us savoring every tiny exchange…
I am part way through editing my novel Swimming with Lupins. It has been a whole new journey of learning and having patience with the process. This being the first of my books I’ve edited, everything is new and confusing. But I think I’ve cracked the start of this thing, and am here to tell…
Poetry has been with me in the quiet background for a long time. It’s something I have to have a still soul to do. Something that requires a little more than writing novels or blog posts, it requires a certain depth that begs to be conveyed in its entirety. To write poetry, one must be…