Teresa's Top 20 WRITE RIGHT Tips

Teresa Medeiros has graciously allowed me to repost these great writing tips. She used a cool vintage graphic on her blog, so I dug up one of my own that I've been dying to use:)

Teresa's WRITE RIGHT Tips

1) Don't give characters unpronounceable names. Unless you're German, umlauts are not your friend.

2) Almost any sentence except "I am born" can be improved with revision.

3) Don't fear adverbs but actions verbs are always better. Not "He walked slowly" but "He trudged..."

4) It's the 1st sentence of your book that sells that book to the editor or reader. It's the last sentence of your book that sells the next book.

5) A creative silence may be your subconscious saying, "Hush, child. I'm working on a better plan."

6) Characters don't have to be perfect from the first page. Character growth is the hallmark of good fiction.

7) Writing is part talent and part craft. The craft part can be improved with practice.

8) You don't learn how to play the piano by reading books about playing the piano. You learn by practicing.

9) If you can stop writing, you probably should.

10) If you're stuck, go for a walk. Moving forward moves the brain forward. (Thanks to the Dog Whisperer for this tip :)).

11) If you're stuck, go back and do a read-thru from Chapter 1 to pick up the thread of the story.
12) The key to a truly successful romance novel is foreplay--not just physical but emotional.

13) There will come a time in every book when you will hate the story, hate the characters, wish they were dead, wish you were dead...just keep writing and you'll love them and yourself again.

14) Expect some resistance when finishing a book. Your subconscious knows it's the end of a great love affair.

15) Don't foreshadow your characters' every action by revealing their every thought through introspection.

16) If you're stuck for a phrase or word, insert [TK] or something else easily searchable and move on. Return later to fill in.

17) To preserve the sanctity of your imaginary world, consider writing on a computer completely cut off from the internet.

18) Dialogue is the hardest thing to write but the easiest thing to fix.

19) Protect your creativity as if it's a small defenseless child entrusted to your care.

20) When the story is over, shut up and write THE END.

Teresa originally shared these tips on Twitter. Be sure to follow her at http://www.twitter.com/teresamedeiros. You can also join her Facebook fan page at

Kindle Review: Under the Magnolia

Under the Magnolia
Author: Moira Rogers
Format: Kindle Edition
Available on Amazon

SUMMARY: Adelaide has a secret: she can see the future. The visions are always unpleasant, until she catches a glimpse of herself engaged in the hottest sex imaginable with hunky police chief Wesley Saxon, a man she's had a crush on for the past year.
Wes has been watching out for Addie for years, even if she did break his heart in high school. But when his attempt to rescue her from an oncoming hurricane leaves them stranded in the basement of an island resort, Wes will face a danger more terrifying than any criminal: falling in love with her again.

Moria Rogers has captured my attention again with this novella. I'm amazed that they continue to come up with new locations, characters and plots that suck the reader in and take them on a roller coaster of emotion. Under the Magnolia has mystery, romance, suspense and witty banter, which many of you know is my favorite element in a good story. Make me cringe, gross me out, scare the crap out of me if you will, but make me chuckle and I'm a fan forever.

I love the characters in Under the Magnolia. Adelaide is quirky, precognitive, caring and she's a magnet for trouble. Wes is the town Chief of Police with a secret or two. I loved him from the beginning of the story. I could just picture him, shaking his head, driving like a bat out of hell to find Addie. Sigh. What a guy.

I also loved all the side characters in Under the Magnolia, especially Addie's grandmother. I want to be her when I grow up.

Under the Magnolia was written as a serial story on the authors' blog, but I bought it for .99 on Amazon for my Kindle and it was money well spent, just so I have it all in one place, and can read it again and again.

~Brenda