As writers, we’re constantly making promises to our readers. Often they start with our title and cover. A cover of a couple looking longingly at each other promises romance. How disconcerting it would be to discover a horror story on the pages. Even though some romances can end up horrible. …
Recent Blog Posts
Six Writing Regrets
After several years on this writing journey and from talking with others on the same path, I’ve found six things I wish I had done differently. Maybe you share some of them. 1) Following trends instead of my heart We all have stories in our hearts. Stories that we need …
When the story bogs down.
My current work in progress was a mess. A “let’s call the whole thing off” swamp. It’s the fourth book in my fantasy trilogy. Maybe that’s the problem right there. I can’t count. As most of you know, I’m what’s called a pantser. I write without an outline. Before I …
What Inspires My Writing?
This is an interesting question from one of my readers. One with several layers to it. One is to tell the stories that grab my mind and just won’t let go until I tu rn the idea into words on a screen or page. Sometimes it’s an image. Or …
Leaving a Legacy
Have you ever wondered about what kind of legacy you’re leaving? I mean more than an estate or an inheritance we bequeath to our children or our church. I’m thinking more along the lines of how will people remember us. Maybe a better phrasing is how do we want to …
The Value of Writing Mistakes
Are you like me? I hate to make mistakes. When I have to fess up, I sometimes feel like a little kid. I tell myself, “I know better than that.” The perfectionist in me tries to correct them. The little kid in me says, “Maybe if I hide them, nobody …
On Vacation
I’m on vacation this week. Hope you are all enjoying your summer.
Meet My Characters: Martha, Martha
Today, we’ll meet Martha Matthews, the pastor’s wife in Journey to Riverbend. The snarky, sarcastic pastor’s wife. As her husband, Luke, said, “She makes pastoring interesting.” Martha loves Jesus. But…she is sometimes challenged in walking out this love with others, especially with her mouth. She tells me it stems from …
The Secret Life of a Pantser
I was talking with another writer one day and, from her first question, I knew I was in trouble. “How long does it take you to outline your novels?” she asked. “I don’t,” I said. She sputtered like a Volkswagen with a bad spark plug. Finally she said, “How do …
Writing When Life Stinks
I’ve had writers say to me, “I can’t write. My life stinks.” For some of us it really does. Life events can throw a stink bomb into our cherished writing. A call the HAZMAT team kind of stinker. That happened to me during my medical crises in April. From the …