Writing Craft

Whenever I feel blocked, I go for a walk. There’s something about feeling my feet on the ground, listening to the birds sing and looking at the trees that inspires me. I always think of a great line or idea for a plot while I’m

When I dream, my subconscious mind is creating stories from various random things, people and events that have been thrown my way in my waking life.  The stories are sometimes funny and sometimes scary and always weird and nonsensical.  My

Readers will not be able to suspend disbelief if dialogue is not believable. Dialogue must flow naturally from the mouths of the characters and must be in keeping with the qualities, characteristics and motivations of characters. The Grecos are

Following the rules of writing effective opening scenes is vital so that readers will be able to suspend disbelief.  Readers must be grounded in the protagonist’s point of view in the beginning of a story.  They must see the world through

I wrote my first story when I was ten years old.  It was called The Magic Pen. This story was about a pen, that when used, created stories and poetry without the use of any human input as if a sacred power came through the ink of the pen. I

I write fiction for many reasons. It’s fun; it gives me joy; it makes me sane; I feel a need to tell stories to the world. I also write so that I can learn life’s lessons. In Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, Silvia learns

Regardless of whether your story is told in first or third person point of view, the reader should be able to see the world of the story through the eyes of the protagonist.  The reader should also be able to hear, taste, smell and feel what the

In order for a reader to get immersed in a novel, the story must flow as seamlessly as possible from beginning to end; chapter to chapter; scene to scene; paragraph to paragraph; sentence to sentence.  Before I began writing Olive Branches Don’t

We have all experienced those special moments in life either through being moved by a particular song, a beautiful sunset, or by having a profound connection with another being.  In Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, Silvia experiences this

I have read character descriptions that are very precise and detailed, but that lack the true essence of the character.  This essence is revealed through things like how a character moves through the world; how he eats his food; or how she plays