Do you have a dream of publication?
Then you’ve come to the right place! Jody has a heart for encouraging and teaching aspiring authors.
Jody’s Blog is a chronicle of her writing journey. She offers advice, encouragement, and inspiration based on all that she’s learned about writing, publication, and marketing in today’s tough publishing industry.
The Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent blog is another excellent site for learning about what it takes to become a published author in today’s market.
(all material is copyrighted)
- Reaching For Our Dreams
- The Hard Work of Making Dreams Come True
- What Does It Really Take to Get Published?
- 4 Ways to Make Yourself Complete a Book
- Top Ten List of Advice for Aspiring Writers
- 4 Tips for Researching a Novel
- How to Find Plot Ideas
- 4 Steps for Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel
- A Method in the Madness: Outlining as You Write
- 8 Things to Keep in Mind When Naming Characters
- Describing Appearances: Moving Beyond Hair & Eye Color
- Potential First Chapter Problems
- 5 Tips for Writing Scenes
- Backstory Problems and How to Overcome Them
- How to Avoid the Trap of Creating Unlikable Characters
- Suturing: Making Our Readers One With the Story
- How To Avoid Creating Plastic Characters
- Making Memorable Minor Characters
- 5 Tips for Writing Better Settings
- Learning to Find a Balance in Showing Versus Telling
- 7 Ways to Develop Dazzling Dialog
- Cliched Writing: Avoid it Like the Plague
- 4 Ways to Deepen Romance Relationships in Any Type of Story
- 10 Ways to Avoid Mid-Book Doldrums
- How to Make Your Book Play Out Like a Movie
- Why Every Story Needs a Zombie
- 4 Ways to Add Caffeine to Your Story
- 4 Keys to Unlocking Your Creativity
- Writing Tight: 3 Pieces of Advice I Wish I’d Know Earlier
- Creating a Book Readers Can’t Put Down
- 3 Simple Stages of Self-Editing
- Why Every Writer Needs Feedback
- 4 Ways to Find a Critique Partner
- How To Know When To Query
- 5 Ways to Increase Querying Success
- 5 Ways to Gain an Agent’s Attention
- How to Write a Book Proposal (Part 1)
- How to Write a Book Proposal (Part 2)
- 4 Ways to Prepare for a Professional Writing Career
- 10 Ways to Prepare in Advance for Publication
- How to Set Writing Priorities
- What Keeps You From Writing?
- 8 Ways Writers Can Push Themselves to Grow
- 5 Foundational Areas to Focus on for Intentional Growth
- When Writing Demands Cut into Other Priorities
- 4 Ways to Make Your Writing Schedule Work
Every writer needs to keep learning and growing in the craft of writing. Jody has compiled an extensive list of Helpful Writing Books that can help you in your efforts to push yourself to the next level.
Jody has also made available her Character Worksheet. This character worksheet was specially developed by Jody to make her characters come alive. Feel free to use all or parts of it in your own writing process.
