s. So, I go to bed early and forget about TV. What’s more important? In doing so, I’ve produced eight novels in a bit over four years.

Suggestion two: Cut out the flowery stuff. I adore adjectives and adverbs, and I ache to describe scenes in lush detail. But in the end, I go back and hack away at all the excess. If you read a line out loud and it feels stilted or halting – stop! Take out all

With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it’s not uncommon to exchange dozens of messages daily. Sometimes, I sense a writer’s “voice” in such messages. Occasionally, I ask if they’ve done any writing. A year ago, a colleague answered, “I loved to write in high school, but I just don’t have time anymore! ” She was extraordinarily busy, mothering an active two-year-old, commuting over an hour a day, managing the house, and holding a full-time managerial job. In spite of the fact that I knew she was overloaded, I sensed a unique talent in her words and didn’t hesitate to encourage her.

“Just write,” I said, “take fifteen minutes at lunch each day. Just do it.”

“But what would I write about?” she asked, “I have no idea where to start!” “Once you get going, it will just flow out of you. You don’t have to have a plan. Just do it.”

She wrote during a break the next day, and sent me three paragraphs. It was lovely. I encouraged her to continue and we began to exchange writing daily. Six months later, she had completed the manuscript for her first novel, a historical time-travel piece. She’s submitting it for publishing as I write this.

Here are a few suggestions for new writers. I hope you find them helpful!

Suggestion one: Just write. Write for a few minutes every day. If your passion for writing is real, you’ll find that you can’t stop! You’ll find a way to make it happen. I schedule very early mornings for writing, from 4:00 to 6:00 AM. It’s the only quiet time in my hectic life and I couldn’t accept spending less time with my daughters, wife, or grandsons. So, I go to bed early and forget about TV. What’s more important? In doing so, I’ve produced eight novels in a bit over four years.

Suggestion two: Cut out the flowery stuff. I adore adjectives and adverbs, and I ache to describe scenes in lush detail. But in the end, I go back and hack away at all the excess. If you read a line out loud and it feels stilted or halting – stop! Take out all t

hour a day, managing the house, and holding a full-time managerial job. In spite of the fact that I knew she was overloaded, I sensed a unique talent in her words and didn’t hesitate to encourage her.

“Just write,” I said, “take fifteen minutes at lunch each day. Just do it.”

“But what would I write about?” she asked, “I have no idea where to start!” “Once you get going, it will just flow out of you. You don’t have to have a plan. Just do it.”

She wrote during a break the next day, and sent me three paragraphs. It was lovely. I encouraged her to continue and we began to exchange writing daily. Six months later, she had completed the manuscript for her first novel, a historical time-travel piece. She’s submitting it for publishing as I write this.

Here are a few suggestions for new writers. I hope you find them helpful!

Suggestion one: Just write. Write for a few minutes every day. If your passion for writing is real, you’ll find that you can’t stop! You’ll find a way to make it happen. I schedule very early mornings for writing, from 4:00 to 6:00 AM. It’s the only quiet time in my hectic life and I couldn’t accept spending less time with my daughters, wife, or grandsons. So, I go to bed early and forget about TV. What’s more important? In doing so, I’ve produced eight novels in a bit over four years.

Suggestion two: Cut out the flowery stuff. I adore adjectives and adverbs, and I ache to describe scenes in lush detail. But in the end, I go back and hack away at all the excess. If you read a line out loud and it feels stilted or halting – stop! Take out all

of you. You don’t have to have a plan. Just do it.”

She wrote during a break the next day, and sent me three paragraphs. It was lovely. I encouraged her to continue and we began to exchange writing daily. Six months later, she had completed the manuscript for her first novel, a historical time-travel piece. She’s submitting it for publishing as I write this.

Here are a few suggestions for new writers. I hope you find them helpful!

Suggestion one: Just write. Write for a few minutes every day. If your passion for writing is real, you’ll find that you can’t stop! You’ll find a way to make it happen. I schedule very early mornings for writing, from 4:00 to 6:00 AM. It’s the only quiet time in my hectic life and I couldn’t accept spending less time with my daughters, wife, or grandsons. So, I go to bed early and forget about TV. What’s more important? In doing so, I’ve produced eight novels in a bit over four years.

Suggestion two: Cut out the flowery stuff. I adore adjectives and adverbs, and I ache to describe scenes in lush detail. But in the end, I go back and hack away at all the excess. If you read a line out loud and it feels stilted or halting – stop! Take out all

ew writers. I hope you find them helpful!

Suggestion one: Just write. Write for a few minutes every day. If your passion for writing is real, you’ll find that you can’t stop! You’ll find a way to make it happen. I schedule very early mornings for writing, from 4:00 to 6:00 AM. It’s the only quiet time in my hectic life and I couldn’t accept spending less time with my daughters, wife, or grandsons. So, I go to bed early and forget about TV. What’s more important? In doing so, I’ve produced eight novels in a bit over four years.

Suggestion two: Cut out the flowery stuff. I adore adjectives and adverbs, and I ache to describe scenes in lush detail. But in the end, I go back and hack away at all the excess. If you read a line out loud and it feels stilted or halting – stop! Take out all

s. So, I go to bed early and forget about TV. What’s more important? In doing so, I’ve produced eight novels in a bit over four years.

Suggestion two: Cut out the flowery stuff. I adore adjectives and adverbs, and I ache to describe scenes in lush detail. But in the end, I go back and hack away at all the excess. If you read a line out loud and it feels stilted or halting – stop! Take out all the extra words that slow you down, and just tell the story. Use the descriptors sparingly. I’ve found that after writing eight books, my style has become simpler and more streamlined. I’m going back now and red-lining much of the early work before it reaches the bookstores. It hurts like hell to do it, but it’s absolutely necessary.

Suggestion three: Observe, observe, observe! Soak in every tiny detail that surrounds you. Colors, textures, sensations, expressions, birdsongs, sunlight, and the ground you walk on... notice everything, and brand it into your brain for that next chapter you’re going to write.

Suggestion four: Listen to the voices! Listen to the grocery clerk, the bank teller, children at play, professors, grandparents, and neighbors... listen! You’ll never create natural dialogue without listening - hard!

Suggestion five: Tap into your emotions. When someone close to you dies, it’s an overwhelming, dreadful experience. But, the same emotions that flatten you at that time will be indispensable when you write about loss. Recreating the deep-seated feelings will make your book come alive and ring true with readers.

Suggestion six: Make your characters feel deeply and give them a rich history. This takes time and is particularly important if you’re writing a series. If readers don’t care about the characters, they won’t come back for more. Don’t worry about defining them in detail in the beginning – just start writing and they will develop. You can always go back and add more detail that supports your character’s growth.

Suggestion seven: Perfection comes lat