Category: Writing Tips

NaNoWriMo: Training to GO Pro and STAY Pro

National Novel Writing Month is here (NaNoWriMo), which is a challenge to write 50K words in thirty days. Yep, write a ‘novel’ in a month, right in the holiday season. Because guess what? There IS no perfect time to write that novel…especially for those who want to go pro and stay pro. Today’s tips, however, …

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Stories That Make Us Stabby: Mary Sue & Why Readers Hate Her

It’s me, Cait Reynolds, and I’m going to be brutal here. You’ve been warned. But, honestly, I get a little stabby when I encounter a Mary Sue in a book. Mary Sues are death to fiction, yet they’re more common than head lice in Kindergarten (and about as desirable). For the sake of time today, …

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How to Write Superior Sex Scenes: Ignite Your Readers & Burn Them to Ash

Hey Guys, Cait Reynolds, my co-author/partner in crime/therapist/evil half is here to talk about the birds and the bees and maybe bees tying up other bees. The “How To” of writing superior sex scenes is vital, just uncomfortable for me. Sorry. I blame my upbringing. I’m a Texan with a Lutheran mom and Baptist father. …

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The Book Blurb—An Invitation Readers Simply Can’t Turn Down

If the cover is an invitation to the party in your book, then the blurb (the back cover description, the summary, whatever you want to call it) is the RSVP card readers check off as attending-with-the-chicken-option when they buy your book. The trouble is that for so many books, while the cover is invites you …

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50 Shades of Butt in Gear–The Ultimate Slacker’s Guide to Writing Success

On Monday, I took a shot at “experts” and challenged us all to remember to have some FUN even though “fun” often makes us feel like slackers. Yet, let’s be clear. There is mistakenly “feeling” like a slacker and actually being one (FYI: I have gold medals in both). Thus, today one might be tempted …

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