“You know why your books don’t sell?” asked my Laddie, scrolling idly through the Kindle sale page. Suggestive covers whizzed by on the computer screen. “No sex scenes.” I wrinkled my nose. “The protagonists in my last series were fifteen.” “Teenagers have sex.” “Not when they’re preoccupied with survival.” While adolescent sexual experiences may be … Continue reading Shipping and Handling, Pt III: How to Write Sex Scenes (By Writing Fight Scenes)
What's worse than getting the flu--miserable aches, pounding head, bone-splintering chills, a fever you stubbornly endure until it flirts with 104 and you can almost hear your brain fluid begin to bubble? Having to go on a business trip the day after your fever breaks. Irritated at being forced to break my three-year streak of not … Continue reading Vexed in the City: Escape to the Morgan Library
Write story. Distribute e-book. Earn royalties. Boom! You're a professional writer...right? If you’ve got only one or two books in mind, this is a fine approach. Starting and managing a writing business probably isn’t worth the hassle for a single memoir or how-to manual. But for independent authors planning numerous titles, a formal business has two … Continue reading Three (Surprisingly Simple) Steps to Registering a Writing Business
Well, that was fast. It feels like only a few weeks ago I was lacing up my trainers for my New Year's Day run and feeling bittersweet about the Syzygy-themed songs on my workout playlist. But 2018 quickly accelerated to warp speed. Calendar leaves turned more quickly than pages in an engrossing novel, but a … Continue reading Running Through Writing: Year-End Review 2018 (and a look ahead at 2019)
Epiphany struck me 35,000 over Chicago. Dimmed lights in the plane cabin made my laptop screen glow conspicuously on the tiny tray table, an invitation to judge over my shoulder, but I didn’t have time for self-consciousness. I had revisions to finish. Faced with a cross-country business trip, I’d assigned myself a travel project of … Continue reading In-Flight Entertainment: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Stories
