L.V. DITCHKUS

For me, it was easy to start writing novels without considering where writing fits into my life. I loved to write and felt I had stories...

Lately, I’ve been reading recently published books in the sci-fi and fantasy genres (e.g., Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway published in...

While most of my novels and short stories contain elements that (I’ve heard) can elicit a smile or an occasional audible guffaw, I’ve...

My jaw dropped when someone told me Lion King is based on Hamlet. Then I considered the storylines: Both are about an heir apparent who...

Maybe it’s our upbringing that makes the word No sound so final. About when we hit two years old, we started saying that word to our...

It’s okay to show up at a conference like a blank slate and drink it all in, but that’s not how I approach it. If I paid to attend, I...

A few months ago, I attended the Mountain Words Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado—a stunning mountain town with a world-class ski area...

While at this year’s RMFW conference in Denver, I picked up loads of writing craft tips, re-wrote the logline for the second book in my...

Don’t let opportunities escape—no matter how mundane or seemingly inane. We've just returned from a trip to visit dear friends in Ottawa,...

The storyteller’s point of view (POV) creates a bond between your readers and the story. As an author, you should consider whether that...

Each principal character in your novel or short story should be unique, and this distinctiveness is more than how they look. Every...

When there’s inconsistency in your story OR individuals act out of character, you’ve got a plot hole that needs to be fixed. Here’s a few...

Some authors write every day. Others (like me) write a minimum number of hours per week. When I look back at my logged hours, I see very...

So you’ve finished writing the best book on the planet. Now it’s time to design a cover that potential readers can’t resist. Besides the...

As a judge for the upcoming Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), my team and I will be reviewing about 60 books (out of...

For those who love to plant flowers in the spring, there is nothing like cleaning out the beds and putting new plants into the soil. The...

In our 40s, some people have a mid-life crisis and dwell on lost youth to the detriment of enjoying their remaining years. Those who...

Many authors work for years on a novel they never finish. To them, the idea of writing a book series might seem unfathomable. But if...

Ask any writer what one of their greatest frustrations are, and they will have a long list. However, that list will most likely...

Did you know wild elephants average just 2 hours of sleep a night? Thankfully, humans typically get more sleep than that. But suffice it...