Recent content by CMSikora

I've asked agents about this, and as usual...it depends on the agent. Although there are agents and editors who will not publish something that was available online, there are also agents and editors who don't give a hoot as long as it sells. For instance, did you know Jeff Kinney, author of...

If you don't have Photoshop, then Gimp looks like it has most of the basic tools. Just scan in your drawn copy and trace over it on a new layer (I use the polygonal lasso). I recommend doing the tracing, coloring, etc on different layers each. Go to dafont.com for a good font to use (although...

This happens to me all the time. You may just be burned out on the story you've been writing. For me, the pressure to finish just makes it worse. So, I've learned to keep a secondary project going, but I try not to get too far into it. My primary project always comes first. I've read a lot of...

Hey, My main character is originally from the Underworld. It's a YA book, so I try to keep to the mild curses and most of the time he just says 'damn'. But I can't tell you how often I get a critique that says, "You should create a new kind of expletive for him. I wonder what kind of curse a...

I recommend one series for songs, but I urge you to get the audiobook for the full effect. The Bloody Jack series, although it's historical, contains a whole bunch of songs and shanties that go well in the same style as a bard. The second book, The Curse of the Blue Tattoo is especially full of...

Most, if not every scene has a focal character. A character whose thoughts are more important to the reader comprehending the story. The focal character can change easily with the use of a break in between paragraphs. In a YA High Fantasy book called The Demon King, the two main characters meet...