I’m feeling pretty happy these days because I’ve just finished writing a new book, my twelfth novel. However, during the eighteen months it took to complete, there were days when the work was definitely not making me happy. Luckily, my career as a writer has taught me...

[Ralph Bruce illustration: "Sydney Carton" in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.] KILLING YOUR DARLINGS by Barbara Kyle Have you heard the phrase, “You’ve got to kill your darlings"? It comes from a 1916 book by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch who advised writers to...

Shakespeare was an actor. So was Dickens. In a way every writer is, because when we create stories we play all the roles inside our heads. It’s part of the joy of writing. Before becoming an author I enjoyed a twenty-year acting career and I’ve found many...

When I mentor writers, I find they often resist depicting the conflict in their stories. It’s as though they don’t want to see their characters suffer. While it may spring from a generous heart, it’s a misguided kindness. Avoiding conflict drains a story of tension....

The Top 5 Questions I Get Asked. Here are the five questions I'm asked most often when I mentor writers in my master classes. Maybe one of these issues is something you've been pondering, too. If so, I hope my answers will be a help. 1. What’s the difference between a...

Fear of the New – Busted! You haven’t heard from me in a while, and if you’re a writer you’ll understand why. I’ve been in the writing cave. It wasn’t easy stepping inside, though. I stood at the entrance feeling nervous. It’s been four years since I’ve written a...

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." ‒ Orson Welles (pictured above) It's a fascinating artistic paradox. Total freedom inhibits creativity, whereas strategic limits generate creativity. Strategic limits? you ask. Let me give you an example of the...

First Principles If there is one bedrock principle of good storytelling, it's this: "Show. Don't tell." That is, the most vivid way to convey something is to show it, not tell it. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, yes . . . and no. The goal is to create an emotional...

Shakespeare was an actor. So was Dickens. And so are you. Think about it. When you create stories, you play the lead role inside your head, don't you? In fact, you play all the roles. It’s one of the most satisfying aspects of being a writer, getting all the parts...

(Image: bestselling author John le Carré)   Why Genre Matters I sometimes hear emerging writers say, “My book doesn’t fall into a genre. It’s a literary novel.” But is it? Often what they mean is that, naturally, they want their story to be thought of as serious....