“Beauty” is in the eye of the beholder – this saying is hard to dispute, most everyone agrees, and I’ll go it a step further and say “blindness” is in the eye of the beholder. All too often we view others and our surroundings with a blind eye. We have preconceived ideas about people and things making it difficult to lay our assumptions aside to look at matters in a different light. Don’t be blind to possibilities.

It has been said that there’s no original plot or story around. But what makes any story unique is the angle the author takes. And the angle is determined by the point of view. Choosing the best point of view is absolutely critical to the success of a story. If it’s taken from the point of view of a character the reader doesn’t care about much, or a character who is peripheral to the central drama, then the story will fail.

From the outside an author’s life looks easy. Non-authors think you sit down, write for a few minutes, and sell everything you write. Not so. An author’s life requires patience, discipline, research, revisions, marketing and speaking skills. Authors also have to practice kindness, as this experienced author discovered.

If you’re either thinking of writing a book for the first time, or you are in the early stages of writing, remember, it’s not going to write itself. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of writing a book. It’s important to realize that you’re the only one that will make that dream come true. You can write a book more easily by starting to implement some habits into your life. If you’re serious about writing a book, here are some easy writing habits you need to begin using on a regular basis.

One of my favorite journal writing tools is my “Not to-do” list. With this list, I can include line items such as “I will not overspend my clothing budget,” or “I will not take on that new client that my gut tells me to stay away from,” or “I will not eat that gorgeous piece of cheesecake.”

Creative writing exercises are massively under-utilized by today’s writers. Read on to find out how you can use them to get an edge.

Ever struggle for words? All writers do at some time or another, but when we get them, there’s an incredible rush of adrenalin, and this can be hard to describe. Words used to depict everyday human emotions and thoughts and expressions can absolutely mean one thing in certain contexts, and other things when used in a different way.

For whatever reason, some writers refuse to accept that POV means anything to a narrative. This articles explains the real reason it is important.

There are times that I am completely taken aback when reading what others are capable of. It is as if I have spent the past twelve years writing up stuff that means so little, made so little impact. I am humbled by how some people are capable of using psychological triggers in their writing to provoke either thought, emotion or action.

Deciding the if and how of writing a novel outline is highly debated among novelists. Some novel writers say that writing a novel outline is necessary at the outset. And others would say they can’t get started with an outline.

Are you interested in writing books but don’t know where to begin or how to go about it? Would you like someone to take you through the whole process so that you can realise your dreams of becoming a successful author like so many others have already done? Here are some ideas for getting through the writing process.

Knowing how to pace a novel is important for any novelist. Best selling novels have a fast pace; however, the novel’s pace is varied like it would be in a good movie. You can’t have non-stop action without wearing out the reader.