Hi everyone, You may hear the phrase “relationships are give and take.” I was reading James Patterson’s wonderful autobiography recently, where he tenderly recalled memories of the first love of his life, Jane Hall Blanchard, who tragically passed away at a young age (buy the autobiography – trust me – it’s worth it). His stories…

The best story improvements often ambush us during mundane moments. You’re washing dishes, walking the dog, or lying in bed listening to a storm—and suddenly your manuscript whispers a better way forward. Consider The Bourne Identity’s opening: a man pulled unconscious from the Mediterranean, riddled with bullets, carrying mysterious bank information but no memory. Ludlum…

I am delighted that both of my 2025 entries into the Florida Royal Palm Literary awards were finalists in their respective categories of short fiction and flash fiction. This prestigious writing competition recognizes extraordinary writing in 20+ genre categories for adults and 5 for youth and provides objective and constructive written assessments to all entrants….

Hi everyone, Joanna Penn’s insights on writing energy types have been a great source of clarity in how I approach my projects. Joanna often talks about the different types of energy required at different stages of the writing, editing, and publishing process, and I find myself in the midst of an energy shift at the…