The writer in the coffee shop has become a cliche, but there are lots of reasons for wanting to work amidst the hustle and bustle of stran...

I recently had the good fortune to attend a talk by one of my fave authors – the awesomely talented Meg Rosoff ( How I Live Now) – a...

I am a huge fan of watching the director commentaries on shows you love as a method of improving your writing skills, especially when it com...

Is it only me, or does the word "sequel" conjure up cheesy movie posters and George Lucas interviews for anybody else?  Something ...

This weekend at the Decatur Book Festival, which was fabulous btw (thanks for asking), my panel was asked a lot of questions about ideas and...

“Just one more chapter...” Does that sound familiar? We’ve all been there. Fifteen chapters later, it’s four o’clock in the morning a...

As I write (and revise), I keep a running list of issues and/or things I want to fix or add later. I’m a list maker and Post-it note addict...

This week’s topic is “Editing Tips and Tricks,” so see if there's anything here that can help you in your next edit. TIP Start your ...

I was recently asked what my best advice is for young writers. Beyond read (a lot) and write (a lot), my main advice is t...

The MacGuffin, often the object or information everyone is after, is one of the most popular elements in modern storytelling. The term popu...

Okay, so adding suspense to a novel is difficult business. And as science fiction and dystopian authors have a little bonus--they can use th...

Okay, so recently, I turned in a novel I'd written to my agent. She read it (loved it--phew!) and gave me some feedback. Her only commen...

With copy edits completed on TRUTH (the sequel to XVI ), and another book with my editor (fingers crossed!), I'm back in drafting mode....

Today, I'm going to start with a quote: "It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them." ~T. S. Eliot...

As I may have said before, I suck at writing tips. So, this time I'm sharing Neil Gaiman's "8 Good Writing Practices." ...

Okay, so I don't run, but I've heard that pacing is crucial when running long distance. The runner has to find the rhythm of their f...

This whole publishing-a-book thing has been the wildest ride of my life. I used to spend hours reading industry blogs written by agents, edi...

Let's say that you've decided to begin a new novel. A brand new, shiny delicious novel. Where do you start? Do you use Word or s...

So everyone has been giving writing tips this week. They've all said some really great things, and I color myself lucky to be blogging w...