The Poet

Sharing this beautiful poem by my friend Aby. ❤❤❤ Make me sing your song, I told the poet He drew three gossamer strings Laid them in front of me And said, Now play. The Poet

Having an Online Presence Isn’t so Scary!

Treat for my writing buddy T-Rex who is always supporting me in my writing, so here’s some hopefully helpful thoughts on getting online. Blogging and staying active on social media to promote your brand is time-consuming and overwhelming when you have a million and one other things to do, but if you want to make

Harsh Critiques!

I’ve had mixed experiences with giving and receiving critiques. I try to be honest and encouraging and have many great writing buddies do the same for me. But one thing that bothers me is when people I don’t know critique my work with zero encouragement or when others talk about wanting “harsh” crits or “tear

Unravelling Writing Advice – When to Hire and Editor!

Another installment from Unravelling Writing Advice series. I’ve never hired an editor, and there’s a reason for that. Let me explain… When it comes to hiring editors, I’ve discovered there are three types of writer. The writer who gets an editor before they’ve finished their WIP or pays an editor even though they plan to

Unravelling Writing Advice – How Often To Write!

Introducing my new series Unravelling Writing Advice where I explain how the advice works and adapts for every writer. Most of the advice I’ve seen talks about weekly goals and daily writing schedules. It helps keep you organised and motivated. Without regular goals, your writing time can get lost in the haze that is the

Epilogues Are NOT the Same as a Final Chapter!

I recently did a post on prologues, and a writing friend (check her out here) asked about epilogues. So here are my thoughts… Epilogues are no different than prologues, just at the end. They need to serve a purpose outside the main story otherwise they might as well be the final chapter. Like my prologues,

Writing Outside your Wheelhouse!

Do it. Seriously, put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see how deeply you can dig. It doesn’t have to be a whole novel. It could be a short story or an occasional POV in a bigger story.  This is NOT about sensitivity or political correctness. This is about tolerance and understanding beyond what we’ve

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!

In writing, waiting can be good or bad depending on what point you’re at. If you’re waiting for that perfect idea to strike or for the “right” time to start writing that novel you keep talking about, then ask yourself if writing is really your thing. Sure, story ideas don’t magically come to everyone, but

Morning

A beautiful morning poem by my friend Aby. Enjoy… Morning shrugs over the horizon Drags rays through pine and oak Mumbles birdsong through the wind And I stand awed Morning Image by FotoWorkshop at Picabay.com.

Pearlescent

A little poem from my random Bursts of Words collection. I once had a collection of pearls in an iridescent shell. Each one contained a piece of my heart. Some I wore on a necklace when I needed them while others were safe away from the cruel world. They shimmered in the sunlight and brought