Trigger warnings (or content warnings) are one of those topics that seem to spark endless debate in the book world.Some readers appreciate them. Others feel they act as spoilers. Some authors worry they reduce a complex story to a checklist of d…
I stopped chasing the perfect first draft a long time ago.Like most writers, I started out wanting every line to be perfect. I’d polish paragraphs, tweak dialogue, and rework scenes before moving on. Eventually, I realized I was wasting my time …
Writing a book isn’t hard. Finishing one is.The beginning is exciting as the world expands and the characters come to life. Jumping back in front of the keyboard is pretty easy.Then comes the middle. That’s when you hit the trenches, keeping the…
One of the most important questions a writer can ask is: What is my character’s “why”? Not what they want. Not what they do. But why they do it.A strong “why” gives context to every decision a character makes. Take “The Social Network” for examp…
There’s currently a lot of discourse on social media about readers skipping descriptive passages and only reading dialogue. Some authors seem genuinely alarmed by this. Readers have been skipping chunks of text for decades. Long before BookTok, …
If you’ve spent any time studying screenwriting, you’ve probably heard some variation of this advice: “Your protagonist must be likable.” “The audience should want to be them.”That advice made a lot of sense in the era of Ferris Bueller. I still…
When I wrote my first novel, I barely thought about POV. Honestly, I hadn’t even planned on writing a novel in the first place. “Cecilia: The Last Croilar Tier” started as a ballet story that completely took on a life of its own. Images would po…
I was interviewed today and a question came up about the difference between a story arc in a limited book series versus a feature film, and it got me thinking just how difficult Book 2 of a serialized Trilogy can be. I use the word “serialized” …
I am running a promo to give away 25 free Audible audio books of CECILIA. All you have to do is repost this offer on Instagram or Twitter and tag me “@SLRostirolla” or repost on Facebook and tag “CeciliaTheNovel”.Those who already have the audio…
Hi All,GABfest was fantastic. Along with meeting some brilliant writers, I met new fans and got to see some awesome South Dakota sights: Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the unexpected Wonderland Cave.Rapid City is delightful and one of t…