When my son was on his high school mock trial team, I was given a crash course on the objections in law. 

To name a few, there’s “Objection! Argumentative.”...

 My sister and I love to watch Pride and Prejudice (2005).

Historical romance with a witty, relatable main character who refuses to settle for a loveless marriage? Yeah, it’s a favorite...

A strong book proposal is key to landing a publisher. Former HarperOne editor Mickey Maudlin provides two tips on what publishers are looking for in a book proposal. Agent representation is...

One of the most common questions we receive from fiction writers is “How do I plot my book?”

It’s the question that dominates writing conferences and a simple Google search...

We live in a small house with a total of one closet. It’s problematic for a modern family. And especially for a self-professed clothes horse.

When we moved in, we carved out a small section...

Most writers don't take the time to ask themselves why they're writing a book. They don't know the "why" of their book.

In this Author Gas Stops, Donna Freitas encourages writers to spend time...

Every book needs a developmental edit. Even professional writers do. In fact, professional writers crave developmental editing, because they know they don’t know it all.

But too many new...

I am a story snob.

I’m not as bad as my cousin whose critiques are borderline nitpicky. But I have high expectations for the media and literature I consume.  

I don’t like to waste...

I had an old-fashioned quarrel with ChatGPT the other night.

Maybe it was one sided. I yelled at him. He didn’t yell back.

I’ll call ChatGPT a “he,” along with 66% of the...

Each of us writes for a variety of reasons.

Some write to work out their pain. Others write as a creative outlet. Still others write to promote their business or nonprofit. The noble among us may...

Think about your favorite book or movie. What makes it your favorite?

It’s probably a combination of things—an applicable life lesson, jaw-dropping choreography and action, an intense...

I learned an important lesson about cohesion when we bought our 1923 brick bungalow 23 years ago and I painted my hallway pineapple yellow.

The color wasn’t a problem except its Miami-party...