Choosing a Strong Title
“A good title is the title of a successful book.” – Raymond Chandler Choosing a strong title for your story is a pivotal step. When readers browse books—whether in stores or online—they make snap judgments. The title is usually what grabs them first. Along with the cover image and blurb, it hooks attention, sets the…Read More
Mastering the Game: Characters, Plot and Setting
Plot Meets Place Creating a story often begins with a spark of inspiration—an image, a moment, or a theme. For my first novel, Graëlfire, that spark came from two primary sources: a theme for a plot and its setting. The theme was a quest for the Holy Grail. The setting was the landscape around my…Read More
Portal Fiction
If you see a fairy ring In a field of grass, Very lightly step around, Tiptoe as you pass; ― William Shakespeare Portals in fiction are gateways to other realms, times or realities. Whether magical, man-made, or natural, they overcome boundaries to travel. There’s something mysterious about them—even dangerous—and that’s what makes them so fascinating….Read More
Writing Bedtime Stories
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” — Albert Einstein When winter set in, I decided to compile all the bedtime stories I’d created for my granddaughter over the years. It started when she was three, inspired…Read More
