How to Intensify Conflict & Deepen Characters—The Wound

Wounds drive how we perceive our world, what we believe we want, and how we will (or won’t) interact with others. This is critical for generating story tension and character arc.

How To Become a Lean, Mean, Writing MACHINE

When we’re new, it’s tough to filter out the world and “get into the zone” where words begin to flow. We might futz with the coffee machine, check e-mail, tidy the kitchen and do everything but write.

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing & Increase Sales

Attention spans are shrinking. The average time spent on a website is roughly 3.5 minutes. I’d wager most people give a website less than 10 seconds to catch their attention and that 3.5 minutes only applies to those browsers who happen to stay. We can apply these business lessons to our writing, because we writers also have something to sell.

Professional Authors Need H.E.A.R.T.—What It Takes to Make It In The Digital Age of Publishing

Those in writing for the wrong reasons (make a quick buck) abound. Some succeed but they’re rare. Most of us do this writing thing because of LOVE. We love to write, to teach, to share, to tell stories. We are explorers who can venture into the human mind or into galaxies never before imagined. And no matter where we go, there is coffee. That’s a perk *bada bump snare.*

Losing Robin Williams—The Dark Side of Those Who Make Us Laugh

Givers love to give. Comedians live to make others laugh. We love it so much we’re often blind to when we are empty and the darkness is there to pounce when we’re at our lowest.