by Lauren | Feb 24, 2019 | writing
I wonder if all writers have this book in us: the one that burns a hole in our brains, wakes us in the middle of the night with its people, and its scenes, and its heart crushing realness. It’s the one your mind drifts to during the day, and the one that hijacks... by Lauren | Jan 7, 2018 | books, writing
Plot: it’s what most writers I work with struggle with more than anything else. If you’re like a lot of them, your book idea might be built around one central intriguing event. So you’ve got a bold/clever/exciting event: now how do you build all of the... by Lauren | Dec 31, 2017 | writing
Writing dialogue is tricky. It needs to sound realistic, but it can’t be too realistic. We all want our characters to sound like real people, but when people talk, there are a lot of unnecessary words tossed around. As writers, we have to carefully craft what... by Lauren | Dec 21, 2017 | writing
Note to readers: This month, after speaking with a client about his novel-in-progress, I’m re-posting a five-part series full of writing tips that originally appeared on UndergroundBookReviews.org. In these articles, I offer some advice that I’ve shared... by Lauren | Nov 17, 2017 | books, writing
Last week I read Julie C. Gardner’s Lily by Any Other Name. It’s a sweet love story that examines the many complex ties that test us in our teens: those between our best friends, our first loves, and our families. For Lily, those ties are all stretched to...
