Okay for those of you who have read my other articles this shall come as no surprise. The secret is….wait for it…stakes and conflict! Alright, go ahead and quit reading. You can go about the rest of your day now. JK But actually, conflict and stakes are the lifeblood to…

For the past year I have had the pleasure of working with an amazing critique partner. She and I really challenege each other to grow and improve while also providing constant support and encouragement. I am so blessed to have her in my network–and also to call her a friend. …

It all started with an idea. A shiny, brand-spanking new idea. You let this idea roll around in your brain for a while, marinating in its own juices, until finally you couldn’t stand it a second longer. You had to start writing. And once you started you couldn’t stop. The…

Okay I admit it. I’m in a slump. I thought it would just last a week or so then I’d be back on the horse, charging into battle once again. …

Bad boys and prolonged stares? Count me in! One bed? Is it just me or is it warm in here? Part of the fun of romance are the tropes, because let’s face it, none of us read romance to be surprised. We all know how it’s gonna end and we…

There are a lot of hard and fast rules about how NOT to start your story. No dreams. No waking up. No first day of school. No descriptions of the weather. No battle scenes. And there are a multitude of good reasons for why these are less than ideal ways…

Growing as a writer can be an intimidating process. Where and how do you start? How do you know if you are any good? What concrete steps can you take that will actually make a difference? Luckily there are two concrete, attainable objectives you can set for yourself today, that…

Now I could have said, “how to write a steamy sex scene” or possibly a, “lust inducing, erotic scene of sensual proportions,” but that’s not what we are going for right now. The truth is that not everyone wants to read a graphic sex scene, and frankly many writers don’t…

Awww conflict, the lifeblood of stoytelling. Without conflict and stakes, you don’t have much of a story. On the surface, creating conflict seems easy. A dash of “Bad guys.” A serving of “Life and death.” And a pinch of “Forbidden Romance” and you’re good to go right? Well the truth…