The Writer Inside

Susan Books, On Writing, Scribbles

I think a true writer can’t stop writing. They love words, and stories, and the way they sing together. I have been a story teller since my early days (just as my mother!) and have always loved a great tale. But I have also loved to read, and not just novels,

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Creating Story World

Susan On Writing, Posts on other blogs, Scribbles

Why, why, why is JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series so popular? What is it about her stories that capture us so, that make us—and roughly 500 million other readers—stand in line for days to get their hands on the latest 800-page offering?

Aside from the depth of characterization, the twisting,

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Creating Living, Breathing Characters

Susan On Writing, Scribbles

There you are, you’ve got a blank computer screen, and the smallest tickle of an idea, something you’ve read, or seen, some question you think might be interesting tackled in a book. But where do you go from there? How do you turn a blip of an idea into a full novel,

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Five Secrets of Best-Sellers

Susan On Writing, Scribbles

Best-selling story will have a hero or heroine who is both strong . . . and damaged . . .

J.K.Rowling, John Grisham, Karen Kingsbury, Tom Clancy, Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein, Robert Ludlum: all best-selling authors, from different genres, markets, even eras. How? What sets their stories apart from others that make them a must-buy for readers?

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Where I Get Inspiration

Susan Books, On Writing, Scribbles

I get inspiration everywhere—the news, Facebook posts, sermons, radio talk shows, conversations. It’s always about a question, something that makes me think . . . what if?

I got the story about Izzy (My Foolish Heart), the talk show host to the lovelorn from a Brad Paisely song,

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