There are tons of things you can do in order to learn to write a novel, but two are paramount: 1. Write. (Duh.) 2. Read. Last week I had two requests for new reads from friends in different situations—one for a church book club, and the other about to travel for a month for work. […]

We’re T-two days to an interstate move. Somehow, the first thing packed is always the majority of our books, with a few left out to read in the meantime (because there’s so much free time in the course of a move). Books are some of the first things unpacked, too. Seeing certain books on a […]

In almost every revision of my novel, I’ve had a reader (or six) say that there was too much backstory too early on. It’s an issue I’ve noticed in other pieces within my writers’ group as well. The author wants so badly to share the history of her characters, but the audience isn’t nearly as […]