"I don't know if my tip is unique or not, but when I'm writing, I keep what I call a tracking sheet on each book. Whenever I start a new chapter, I add in the chapter number and the page it begins on. This enables me to know just how long each of my chapters is and...
Read. You'll probably hear this from every published writer you meet. You'll probably hear it at every conference you attend too. It really is important to know how the romance genre works and the classic hooks that are popular with readers. Analyze each book you...
Go to the source: Want to know how it feels to sit in a Mercedes Benz, or the smell of a horse, or the sound of a forest? Go to the source. Window shop at a high end car dealer, visit a horse veterinarian or enlist the help of horsey friends. The woods are not silent....
Don't be afraid to experiment with your writing. So what does that even mean? For five years I targeted Harlequin Mills and Boon because that was the house I wanted to be published with. I did eventually progress from form rejections to personal ones and then onto...
"I have a feeling my writing tip is one that’s been shared, but just in case it hasn’t, I wanted to remind everyone that writing comes in all forms. It can be a stanza of poetry, a blog update, a letter, a book review, a diary entry, or actually sitting down to write...
"Goals and Goal Timelines Writing goals are fabulous tools. They get us to put the words on the page, they motivate us to submit our manuscripts, they push us over hurdles when we’d rather give up. You’ve sent goals, right? Finish the first draft – or better yet,...
"Seize the moment with sensory detail! Have you ever read a story that just didn't grab you, even if the plot was compelling and the conflict abundant? The prose probably lacked sensory detail. Sensory detail is what infuses writing with emotion and helps the reader...
"Something I started doing a couple years ago has really helped me a lot. I keep a notebook next to my keyboard. Every morning when I start my day, I write the date down. Then whatever I do gets written in my notebook. If I go through all email, spend an hour catching...
"Be patient and don't ever give up. I started writing "for fun" in 2003 and did not know anything. And believe me when I say anything. It took me three years of knocking around before I got a clue (well, a couple of clues) and met like-minded writers online. Thanks to...
