Nobody asks if you play the violin, can construct a 7-layer wedding cake, run marathons, create fine art, practice patent law, sing jazz, or solve quadratic equations for fun.
Which Comes First, Plot or Characters?
Theme, character, plot for me are like making a ball of jello.
Is Setting as Important as Character or Plot?
Is it a main character, a secondary character or an incidental one – once the author decides that, then the work to be done is clear.
Should You? Using Song Lyrics in Fiction
It’s a natural inclination to refer to, quote from and honor words of others that move us. Frequently, then, the question comes up: can I quote song lyrics in my story? To me the legal issues are secondary to the artistic concerns.
Creating a Character of “Age”
One of the first questions a romance writer has to answer is “Why is this character single?” The older the character, the more complicated the answer to that question can be.
New Writer – Don’t Quit Your Day Job
There is one thing to consider: just starting a book puts you in an elite group of people. And finishing makes you rarer still.