Are you an author or an artist? These words author and artist are not as similar as they sound. Some gifted individuals can be both, but in actuality, most people are one or the other. In the writing world, these terms are often mutually exclusive of each other. They don’t have to be, but the majority of writer’s fall in one category or another. The […]

Have you ever read through your manuscript only to realize the same words keep popping up like weeds in a garden? If your answer is yes, relax—we all do it. In the flurry of keystrokes, some words just appear. You didn’t want them. You don’t remember thinking them. But nevertheless, they sprout like common weeds. Your mind can often add unintentional words to your writing. […]

A master novelist paints his story with dynamic two-dimensional characters. The characters are woven into the story like puzzle pieces. Each is important to the final picture, but standing alone they bring no significant revelation to the final image. Two-dimensional characters are flat. They lack depth, are partially developed, and often are stereotypically inclined. But stories need two-dimensional characters. They bring the story to life, […]

Different body parts experience the sensation of touch in unique ways. Fingertips have heightened levels of sensitivity, but the tip of an elbow is desensitized. Depending on how you touch on object with certain body parts the feeling or experience will be different and should be described relative to the sensation. A few weeks ago I went camping in Northern Michigan. As I hung my […]

Now that we’ve taken a deeper look at two of the senses, sound and sight. Let’s take a more in depth look at one of the hardest senses to describe in some settings—taste. All great authors write using the five senses, and the best know how to incorporate just a touch of taste to highlight an emotion, experience, or mood, or to fill out a […]

I don’t know about you, but every time I smell cinnamon rolls in the oven, I am transported back to 1980’s. My thoughts drift to waking up on Sunday morning to the sweet smell of breakfast baking in the kitchen. My stomach growls. My mouth salivates, and I can almost hear my mother rustling the dishes. What a great memory from my childhood. Smell has […]

As a literary agent, I routinely get asked which is more important platform or the quality of the writing? For writers who are looking to get published, this is an important question to debate. It may be the most important question. The correct answer is not as easy as it may seem. The winner of this important debate between platform and writing ability can change […]