What kind of peanut butter do you prefer? It sounds like a simple question, doesn’t it? While brainstorming topics I could add to my burgeoning social media presence, the subject of peanut butter came up. [...]

I was a teeny bit clumsy when I was younger. Not now, of course. I possess all the coordination of a ballerina. In fact, instead of the phrase ‘graceful as a swan,’ my family says [...]

This is a definitive guide to writing characters in a romance book. I know, I know. I’ve never written a novel solely for the romance, so you’re probably wondering how I became an expert. It’s [...]

There is a growing consensus that evil laughter doesn’t belong in films. People call it ‘cartoonish’ and ‘overdramatic.’ I never understood why people complained about the maniacal laughter of villains. To me, it was the [...]

Congratulations! You’ve finished your novel. Hopefully, you’ve also completed a round of revising and editing. Your manuscript is as awesome as you can make it on your own. Take this moment to pay yourself on [...]

Margery stared ahead, hands clasped and knees aching on the cold stone floor. She chanted the refrain with a hundred other voices. She knew better than to remain silent. The abbess had been good to [...]

I grew up on “Goosebumps.” RL Stine’s classic horror books were a staple in my elementary school classroom. Everyone read them, and there was always a long waiting list when the library received a new [...]

I have heard a truly ridiculous amount of writing advice. I’ve read books, listened to podcasts, followed YouTube channels, and scoured the internet for helpful tips. Most places reiterated the same three or four suggestions, [...]

Once upon a time, there was a stupid boy with an irrepressible need for coolness. Cody kicked an errant clump of dirt as he revised his obituary. Once upon a time, there was an idiotic [...]