I can only answer for myself. I believe every author’s answer would differ. When I first became a professional writer I wrote non-fiction because that’s what pays the best. However, I lived in the middle of the forest at a time when there was no internet to use for research and I quickly discovered that …
Rapid release is not for me
There's something floating around the writing community called 'rapid release.' It's a way to write and publish a new book every month. A book a month. Yikes! I don't plan on doing rapid release. Ever. But I must admit that when I learned how it's done I realized that I use the techniques it espouses, …
What’s a yard for, anyway?
Last year sometime near the end of the summer, I came home late pulling a trailer behind me because I'd been selling fudge and fudge-filled banana bread somewhere far enough away to not get home during daylight. Let me state right here that I'm not the best at backing up a trailer. In fact, I …
Reader question: What techniques can give a feel for a genre before writing in it?
There are a few things that are recommended to get a feel for a genre before writing in it: Read, read, read in that genre. More than just reading, make sure the books you read are as close as possible to ones you are considering writing. This matters because even within genres, there may be …
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Readers are wonderful people
Back when I became a professional writer, I thought that one of the best things about this life would be the solitude. That I could be by myself day after day and do my thing in my office with the huge window overlooking the north woods and enjoy not having to talk to anyone. (You …
The most beautiful autumn ever
I'd been hoping for a beautiful autumn because it's been a wet, wet, soggy summer. I'd always been told that such summers create beautiful autumns because the trees are healthy and have lots and lots of leaves. Those leaves, so the information goes, are also healthy and stick around as long as possible before dropping …
Reader question: How can I write a good novel?
There are steps to creating a novel: Decide which fiction category your novel will fall into. Mystery? Romance? Action/adventure? Whatever category you choose should be one you are familiar with. Design a main character and at least one secondary main character. Don’t spend too much time on this, a few sentences is plenty but make …
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Fantasy in romances
I love a touch of fantasy in the stories I read and in the ones I write but I'm not a fan of true fantasy stories that take the genre to lengths it's never been before. I think I like that fantasy element because I believe there's an element of fantasy in any romance, real …
What color are the flowers?
As summer and now autumn comes to a close, I can't help thinking about flowers because they are so beautiful and because I always watch for them. I don't grow them in either a garden or vases because it wouldn't be nice to start anything and then watch them die. Because that's what would happen …
Question: What’s the best way to write a fantasy novel?
Answer: The same way you write any novel, with an emphasis on the imagination! Every writer writes differently. All I can say is what works for me. I spend a lot of time thinking, working out the general plot in my mind. Theme, characters, location, and plot. I keep at it until I get it …
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