The Man Behind the Mask

As fiction writers, we are all aware that it is a serious no-no to allow your characters to “act out of character.” But what this […]

He Said / She Said / They Said

Dialogue Tags It has been suggested that said is the most beautiful word in the English language, and that is certainly true for writers. Said […]

Adding Subtext to Dialogue

As readers and writers of fiction, we are quite familiar with the use of dialogue to enhance character development, impart information, and enliven story. But […]

A Promise Made

A promise “to love and cherish” is one often made at weddings as the bride and groom gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes, no doubt […]

Who’s There?

Remember when The Girl on the Train, a suspense novel by Paula Hawkins, was all the rage? It seemed like it was mentioned every time […]

Once Upon a Time…

Remember what it was like when you were a child and heard those magic words, Once upon a time…? It was like a switch flipped […]

The Man Behind the Mask

As fiction writers, we are all aware that it is a serious no-no to allow your characters to “act out of character.” But what this […]

Your Heart Knows

I must be a born rebel. When it comes to fiction-writing rules, I just can’t seem to help but break them—at least some of them, […]

Bear or Wombat?

Point of View  Once upon a time, when I lived in the American Southwest, I bought a copper wall-hanging in the shape of a Zuni […]

Good Bones

Just as your body needs a skeleton to give it structure, your novel needs a framework for its story. If you start with a solid, […]