#NaNoWriMo Planning Kit...

National Novel Writing Month began on November 1. How are you doing so far? I’ve put together a series of blog posts on the best way to plan your NaNo novel so you be much more likely to not only keep writing, hit the 50,000-word mark, but also end up with a finished novel at the end of...

What I #AmWriting for #...

I’ve posted a bunch of my own tips on planning for NaNoWriMo as well as the links to my worksheets and planning guide, and I realize I have yet to tell you all anything about what I’m writing this year. Shame on me! How can you believe my advice if I don’t go through the whole process...

#NaNoWriMo starts on No...

Plan Your NaNo Novel in as Little as One Day   Now available in print and digital versions. Save 25% by downloading direct [use code NANO25OFF at Smooth Draft] NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is an annual event for writers around the world. It offers participants an opportunity...

#NaNoWriMo Story Planni...

As I mentioned in my last post, Why You Should Plan Your NaNo in Advance,  I believe planning the key elements is a fool-proof way to develop a novel that is big enough to last 50,000 words, and offers you the best inspiration to make it to the end before November is  over. Today I’ll...

How to Blurb (and How N...

As an editor I see a lot of blurbs come across my desk. As a reader I see even more. And as an author, I have written plenty of them myself. I don’t particularly like to write them, but I know how vital blurbs are to marketing your book.   So what is a blurb and how do you...

Why You Should Plan you...

  Over the years I’ve discovered the hard way that planning a story is the difference between a smooth writing experience and one where I’m pulling my hair, digging into a tub of Ben & Jerry’s, or deciding to watch re-runs of Law & Order instead of staring at a blank page....