Pub Rants

Any fiction writer who deals in speculative elements must eventually decide: How much of this story requires a realistic, grounded explanation at the end, and how much can I leave unexplained because, hey, it’s magic, supernatural, paranormal, metaphysical, or miraculous? Can’t I just get to the end and say it… MORE

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For twenty years, I’ve worked with extremely talented writer clients. Having done so, I’ve learned that talent and mastery of craft cannot fix a story if it’s not the right story the writer should be telling. Here’s why.  All writers need to learn this one simple lesson: Give yourself permission… MORE

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If the first three months of 2022 are any indicator, the pandemic is still informing what creators are writing about, and the proof is in the inbox. Here are the two very clear directions writers are pursuing: The world is dire. Time to escape.  Big trends showing up in our… MORE

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Interview with Stacy Stokes

This month, NLA had the pleasure of interviewing Joanna MacKenzie’s client Stacy Stokes, author of the recently released novel Remember Me Gone.  What challenges did you face writing about memory and memory loss? I love keeping secrets from readers, so I had a lot of fun sprinkling breadcrumbs throughout the… MORE