Starlog

  • Get Your Manuscript Past the Gatekeeper #5:Where’s the Beef? Is your dialog too beefy?

    Based on personal experience as a first-reader intern for a literary agency, I’m sharing what can get your manuscript past the gatekeeper (the intern!) and into the hands of the agent. Dialog is enough to give most writers a headache, but it’s so stinking important! How can we make sure our dialog is right on target,… Read more

  • The Day the Storm Hit – A True Story

    Many people have said I should write about what happened while it is fresh in my head. So, here it is. This is not polished – just stream of consciousness writing. I have a novel to edit or I would have spent more time. Anyway, this is what happened. June 23, 2015 6:26 PM my… Read more

  • Get Your Manuscript Past the Gatekeeper #4: Does your manuscript have CONFIDENCE ISSUES

    Based on personal experience as a first-reader intern for a literary agency, I’m sharing what can get your manuscript past the gatekeeper (the intern!) and into the hands of the agent. Confidence issues? What could she be talking about? How could someone know if I’m confident by reading my writing? I mean, my character is… Read more

  • Recovering from the storm

    Hey guys. For those of you who don’t follow on other social media, my town was hit by a tornado on Tuesday. (they officially called it some other type of new storm. Lucky us. 😂) Anyway we are fine. No casualties which is the most important thing. We were without power until Saturday and without… Read more

  • Fulfilling your contract: So, what is an “option book” anyway?

    For the past two weeks I have been working on the “option book” as required by my contract. What is an option book? My contract with Month9Books was for a three book series with an option for the fourth.  That means I agreed to write three complete novels. (Already done. Yay!) Once those are done,… Read more

  • Get Your Manuscript Past the Gatekeeper #3: Those pesky Unnecessary words

    Based on personal experience as a first-reader intern for a literary agency, I’m sharing what can get your manuscript past the gatekeeper (the intern!) and into the hands of the agent. Okay, so, necessary words? How can a word be unnecessary? I mean, I wouldn’t have typed it if it weren’t necessary, right? Here are… Read more