Once I did a post that was almost nothing but the covers of fabulous vintage mysteries and a list of some of my favorite vintage authors. And that post was in response to a question asked by Sabine on an earlier post about being interviewed by the fabulous and hilarious… Read more“4 Reasons to Love Melville Davisson Post”
Category: Meet the Editor
That’s me.
Victoria’s Advice Column: internal conflict, forward motion
Today I’m answering two questions from long-time writer Diana Rubino on Victoria’s Advice Column: 1) “I’m reading Art & Craft of Writing Stories, in which you say, ‘the protagonist must have two mutually-exclusive needs.’ I’ve learned that the protag must have a need, a goal, and that has to be… Read more“Victoria’s Advice Column: internal conflict, forward motion”
The Kindest Form Rejection Letter Ever
Happy New Year, everybody! I want to do something a little different this year, and that is share with you the joy of rejection. I know this sounds smart-aleck, but I am absolutely serious. Last fall I queried a top literary agent with a new novel, waited my obligatory six… Read more“The Kindest Form Rejection Letter <em>Ever</em>”
The 2 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Characters
Today we’re at Write to Done talking about the only thing that truly matters in fiction: The 2 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Character These are the two secrets that I’ve been teaching to my editing clients for the past nine years. Now you can learn them too. Please come on… Read more“The 2 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Characters”
5 Ways Writing is Gardening
Last month we talked about my cat, who is not a writer (or else who is, depending upon how many opposable thumbs you think it takes). We also watched a video about working with me made by the wonderful #1 Kindle Best Selling author Stu Wakefield. Now this morning the… Read more“5 Ways Writing is Gardening”
How to Find Joy & Fullfillment Through Writing
And now that NaNoWriMo is over and the holidays are upon us, along with the ornaments and stockings and the book of Tigger’s Solstice Carols that my son and I made by hand when he was two—I’m bringing back my December series on deeper meaning. I know as well as… Read more“How to Find Joy & Fullfillment Through Writing”
5 Things A Writer Always Overlooks
You know how you work so hard to get that first draft down on the page? How you sacrifice comfort, companionship and casual entertainment, family time, work time, leisure time, exercise, sleep, nutrition, freedom from toxins, sobriety, eventually your very sanity—all for the sake of that novel? Then you suffer… Read more“5 Things A Writer Always Overlooks”
Children’s Carols
Joy to the World Joy to the world! the children come. Let earth receive their grace! Let ev’ry heart prepare them room And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing. Read more. . . O Come All Ye Faithful O come, all ye… Read more“Children’s Carols”
5 Ways to Make Your Novel Helplessly Addictive
We’re in October mode, which means that we’re revisiting the three most basic aspects of plot structure, beginning (as we like to begin: backward) with CLIMAX: 5 Ways to Make Your Novel Unforgettable. That was fun! So now let’s back our way into the middle of the novel, where all… Read more“5 Ways to Make Your Novel Helplessly Addictive”
5 Ways to Make Your Novel Inescapable
We came into our October review of the three most basic aspects of structure through the exit—as is only right—and we’ve worked our way backward through the middle of all the high jinks and mayhem. So let’s get right up to it now and tackle that most difficult and rewarding… Read more“5 Ways to Make Your Novel Inescapable”