Fiction The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 400 pp. Atria Books $22.49 This is my second Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and I’m adding her to my favorite author list. In The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo the eponymous Evelyn, a former A-list Hollywood actress, gives...

Does planning goals for 2021 seem overwhelming? It was to me. That’s why this year I decided to simplify. I don’t make traditional New Year’s Resolutions, but I do like to work towards some sort of resolution. The difference is that instead of just naming my resolution at midnight...

The idea of interviewing people is terrifying. That’s why I’m not a journalist.  I’ve always wanted to be a fiction writer. But as you know, everyone tells us to pick a backup career. My backup was journalism. I minored in media studies in college and managed through the journalism...

Every writer needs to understand the importance of semantics and connotation. In our case, we’re talking about using the exact correct word needed to evoke the emotion or image we want. Imagine you’re reading a story about how the protagonist smashed her car into a tree, but then later...

When I come across good writing advice, or general advice that I can apply to writing, I often think about how I would present it to a class. Thinking about how to explain techniques to someone else enhances our own understanding. It also encourages us to use the advice...

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m writing a YA fantasy novel. My plan was to do all my plotting and planning in May and jump into writing in June. I thought if I had all of it mapped out in my head, once I sat down to...

Psychology Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone By Brené Brown 194 pp. Random House $18.00 In Braving the Wilderness, Brené talks about how we struggle with wanting to belong with the in-crowd, but we find true belonging when we are true...

I get tired of the pantsing versus plotting discussions. This isn’t meant to debate either of those, but to share with you what worked for me. Last year, I got an inkling of a story idea. I don’t remember where it came from. All I remember is that there...

Think about how your day goes when you’re in a bad mood. Do any of the following sound familiar? Are you more likely to be grumpy? Have less patience towards other people? Do you notice negative things more? Do you overreact to small things? Are you less objective? These...

Dante promised himself he wouldn’t leave the house again, but Lydia’s smell—lilacs and puppy dog kisses and sweet innocence—were like a giant brownie sundae to an extreme dieter. Despite knowing better, he let it lure him out into the night, into her world. A place he didn’t belong anymore. ...