
Anyone Can Be Lucky!
Today with shamrocks everywhere I am thinking about luck. Do you believe in luck? For me, the answer is yes and no. I believe we make our own luck. We make our own luck by working hard, by producing good work, and by being outgoing. We make our own luck by...

The Genius of small changes: they add up
A couple of weeks ago I bought myself some toast tongs. What are toast tongs, you may ask. They are small bamboo tongs for getting your toast out of the toaster safely. (I am prone to burning my fingers on hot toast.) Every time I use them I think genius! How did I...

Professionals Don’t Need a Degree
As you know, I love British cozy mystery shows . I was watching an old episode of Father Brown the other night when he said this gem. Professionals built the Titanic; amateurs built the Ark. Father Brown When the constable told him to mind his own business and not...

How to Make Money with Your Creativity: Intro to the Creator Economy
Have you heard about the creator economy? It is when people create, distribute, and monetize their own content, products, and services using online platforms and social media. This includes a wide range of activities like creating videos, writing articles, offering...

All the Love: Using More Than One Type of Love in Your Story
Love has been all around us this month as we talk about how to use love in your stories. I got a wonderful question from a reader about stories where characters must choose between different types of love. She asked if audiences respond to these kinds of...

5 Kinds of Love to Use in Your Story Instead of Romance
Last week we talked about the importance of romantic subplots in your stories because audiences love love . Serendipitously, I came across this webinar by the Mystery Writers of America Norcal Chapter about inserting romance into your mystery....

Can Your Story Use a Little Love?
Valentine's Day is around the corner and love is in the air! It's been a while since we talked about story and February seems the perfect time to discuss love stories. How important is romance in a story? Very! Even if you're not writing The Notebook, having a...

Do These Four Things to Worry Less
I am a worrier. I worry a lot and I always have. I know I'm not alone. The world in the past three years has gotten scary and everyone’s anxiety has skyrocketed. As creative people, it is easy to let our imaginations run wild creating the worst possible...

Why You Should Cultivate Curiosity
Curiosity is a powerful force in the life of a creative person. It is the spark that ignites our imagination and drives us to explore new ideas and possibilities. When we are curious, we are open to learning and experiencing new things. This allows us to see things...

ChatGBT: The Future of Writing is Here
The technology for story is always changing. Humans went from telling stories around a campfire, to writing stories by hand to the printing press and computer. In December story technology took another leap with the introduction of ChatGBT, an artificial...