Articles

WriterSpark 
articles
 are about learning.

They tackle business, creativity,  and the craft of writing.


Wherever you are in your writing career, there's something here for you. Browse and enjoy!

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Do you know How to Make Your Plot ‘High Concept’? What is ‘High Concept’? High concept is a buzz phrase that’s both abstract […]
There are so many reasons to write cozy mysteries. In my book, there are 10 of them. The mystery genre is huge. From […]
Today I have 4 Steps for Revising your book LIKE A BOSS! Revising may not be your favorite part of the writing process, and that's okay. Every writer has their own favorite part. For me, it's the Big Magic. Revision is a close second.
Letting go of the idea of perfection is a hard on, but here’s a great lesson: Whatever you do can be changed. Because […]
Finances for authors. It’s not the most appealing topic for people who spend their time with words…but wherever you are on your writing path, it’s never too early to start thinking about how to tackle your financial life as an author. Managing your expenses, especially in relation to current and/or future profits--or even just knowing what you are spending--is pretty important. Here are 7 tips to help you.
Do you use SMART Goals in your goal-setting? If you’ve never done it, keep reading. This is how to use SMART goals in […]
What Makes a Compelling Hero? Giving your hero power is one of the most important things you can do when you are crafting […]
Living a creative life is amazing, but it often is in conflict with the business side of things when you are trying to parlay that creativity into a career. My 30th book released last month. You'd think I'd have figured out a way to meld the two sides of my creative life. The bottom line is that it's always a challenge to meld the two. This is why two creative friends and I began what is called a ‘mastermind group’. We did this in order to have accountability, not necessarily for our work product, but more for our intentions around our work, whatever that looks like for each of us. It has been a powerful tool in my writing life.
It is so important to add diversity to your writing. It's essential to have conversations like the one I had with VM Burns so we all learn how to represent races and cultures and sexuality intentionally and with authenticity and respect in our writing. Because we live in a diverse world filled with people who are of varying races, cultures, and who practice different religions, and politics, and who may live their lives differently than we do.
Scroll to the bottom for links to my chat with author Kathrine Ramsland on the latest Podcast episode or to watch it on […]