15 Holiday Tropes + More

I, personally, am trash for tropes and believe they make the world of fiction go ’round. But love ’em or hate ’em, there’s something about holiday tropes that hit a little extra. This article is dubbed “holiday” as it centers on the tropes we often see in rom-coms around the winter holidays. But I willContinue reading “15 Holiday Tropes + More”

Preptober Week Four: Organization and Time Management – With Guest Author Erin Thomson

Ready or not, Prep-tober is wrapping up and NaNoWriMo is upon us. We have created our plot outlines, made character info sheets, and brainstormed worlds and extra details. What’s left is organizing yourself to ensure NaNo success! This week, we have guest Author Erin Thompson providing useful insights, including ways to psych yourself up andContinue reading “Preptober Week Four: Organization and Time Management – With Guest Author Erin Thomson”

Tips for Writing Scenes that Steam & Sizzle

Romance is always a feature in my writing, because I love love in all shapes and sizes. This isn’t always physical romance, but let’s just say I’m trash for whenever things get spicy. To wrap up my romantic February, I’m talking all about love scenes. Believe it or not, writing a good love scene isn’tContinue reading “Tips for Writing Scenes that Steam & Sizzle”

Creating A Book Playlist: with Guest Author Mindy McKinley

All throughout February, I’m talking about love and romance, so I wanted to feature a Romance writer as this month’s guest author. Mindy McKinely debuted her first romance novel in 2020 and since then has rapid-fire released two sequels and a few steamy novellas to boot.  I had the pleasure of reading an ARC (AdvanceContinue reading “Creating A Book Playlist: with Guest Author Mindy McKinley”

Newbie to Novelist’s Top 10 Favorite Romance Tropes

Happy Valentine’s Day, and as a special bonus (in addition to releasing my free novella today) I wanted to publish some extra blog content. Enjoy my countdown of favorite romance tropes, and let me know if you agree with my list. Before we start, you might be asking… what is a trope? Tropes are plot/themeContinue reading “Newbie to Novelist’s Top 10 Favorite Romance Tropes”

Romancing the Beat Overview: Featuring Disney’s Tangled

While writing the post: 5 Tips for Writing Romantic Subplots, my fifth tip was to utilize romantic story structure and I recommend checking out Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes (which also has a Scrivener template). But I wanted to include my own overview. Quick disclaimer: This overview is pretty true to Gwen Hayes’ beats,Continue reading “Romancing the Beat Overview: Featuring Disney’s Tangled”

5 Tips for Writing Romantic Subplots

I’m a sucker for a heart-thumping, palm-sweating romance. And regardless of what niche genre you write in, there’s often an acceptable place for a romantic subplot. Just as we love to plunge into quests and adventures, readers love to read about love because it opens a little window for the reader to feel and connectContinue reading “5 Tips for Writing Romantic Subplots”