Many years it rains on Halloween, here in Western PA. We parents have learned to plan costumes around the bad weather. When I was a kid, they… Read more “Happy Halloween”

One of the first things I do in the morning, after getting up and grouching at the day, is check the weather. It’s going to have an… Read more “Using weather to set the scene in your novel”

As a writer, I’m always learning. We need to be, as writers and artists, always learning and trying new things. Or, in some cases, you need to… Read more “How I’m improving my descriptions”

If you’re serious about being a professional writer, you’ve got to get good at editing your own work. I actually run my own freelance business editing, and… Read more “My advice for self editing”

If you’re trying to find time to write, you know it can be a nightmare. Your time’s ususally devoted to your family and your day job. At… Read more “Controlling Your Life, The Email Course, comes to PBW”

Brevity is the soul of wit. There’s a reason why everyone says this. It’s because it’s, duh, true. Good comedy works best when it’s brief. While some… Read more “Brevity is the soul of horror”

Let’s talk about magic for a little today. Let’s sit down together, and talk about everyday magic. I love writing about everyday magic, practical magic if you… Read more “Talismans”

I mentioned last week that I didn’t know how to write a horror novel. I’ll try, eventually. I love horror too much to never try. But I’ll… Read more “What scares people”

Who’s doing some serious horror movie watching this year? We are in my house. I can’t even list all of the movies we’re watching. We love them.… Read more “Cliches in horror that need a stake through the heart.”

I don’t feel like I do enough personal essays here. So here’s one that I’ve been thinking about for awhile. It came up in a free writing… Read more “Second hand stores, a personal essay”