kwatkins

It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce: a Book Review

New Year’s Eve is an inspiring, heartwarming holiday—unless, like in It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce, one never makes it to the big countdown.

A Legacy of Bones by Doug Burgess: a Book Review

In A Legacy of Bones by Doug Burgess, the Hawaiian landscape is the backdrop for a history of misery that will define the Lathrop family.

One Month of You by Suzanne Ewart: a Book Review

One Month of You by Suzanne Ewart explores the importance of spending time wisely, weighs romantic hope versus realistic expectations, and seamlessly combines tenderness with grit and fortitude.

The Sisters We Were by Wendy Willis Baldwin: a Book Review

The Sisters We Were by Wendy Willis Baldwin proves that while actions have consequences, they can also yield unexpected rewards.

The Power of Free-range Pens

The world is a scary place that often leaves us feeling the butt of some cosmic joke. But pens are still mighty and capable of giving reality the occasional swift kick in the ass.

Join the Conversation: Reexamining Dialogue

When it comes to dialogue, writers really do need to say what they mean and mean what they say. In other words, you’ve only got so many chances to use your characters’ conversations to their utmost advantage. Make them count.

How to Appreciate the First (Sucky) Draft

Lesson the first for every writer everywhere: the first draft is almost always awful. But that’s okay. In fact, that works to your advantage.

Writing Contests and Why They Make Us Want to Hurl

Writing contests are great avenues for exposure and constructive criticism. So why do they make all us writers feel physically ill at the thought of entering?

Lady Bosses of Lit

In the literary world, every day is International Women’s Day, and every month is Women’s History Month. The real world just hasn’t caught up to speed with the lady bosses of lit—yet.

27 Tips I’ve Collected as a Writer, an Editor, and Everything in Between

There are a million things that go into writing a novel. Here are twenty-seven of the handiest tips I’ve collected so far.