By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner As children, we loved to play in our imaginary worlds. We’d make up stories for our dolls, barbies, trucks, build forts and have wars, etc. If you’re a writer, I’m guessing you probably even had an imaginary friend or two, right? Confession time . . .…

By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner Voice and style can make or break an author’s novel, so how can we make it stand out from all the rest? Style is the technical aspect of the story while voice relies on character, point of view, and attitude (can be referred to as tone).…

By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner What are the trademarks of a villain? Do they have dark, piercing eyes, a snarly grin, crooked-yellowed teeth, knobby fingers, an evil laugh? Or is there more to it than that? The antagonist can be the hardest character to write but also the most fun. How…

By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner Every writer loves to type “THE END” on their latest work-in-progress, but the process to get to those final pages can be daunting. Can I get an amen? We tend to write and rewrite the first few chapters to make them perfect, but do we labor…

By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner Have you ever kept a secret from your mom as a kid? I did one time… “Don’t tell Mom,” I said to my brother Murray. “She’ll kill me!” Once again, I didn’t listen to my mom and decided to take our friend’s 5-speed bike for a…

By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner Every writer loves to type “THE END” on their latest work-in-progress, but that dreaded flashing cursor on a blank “Chapter One” page sends tremors down our spines. Can I get an amen? However, starting a new manuscript doesn’t have to be daunting. Authors can make it…