Should I Blame AI?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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I read a book this week that had a torture scene in it that kept me from sleeping one night.

It was by an author I hadn’t read before. One that the internet had said was an author of Christian Fiction. I was more than surprised when it turned out to be anything but.

I don’t think the description was purposeful, so I wonder if there might be some glitches in AI- assisted writing. 

Nothing is perfect. Could it be possible that AI can misunderstand?

And, if so, can AI “think” and make mistakes?

If that is true, then AI is scarier to me than any story a fellow author might write.

It Was a Nice Trip, But…

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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We just returned from a vacation up north, where we experienced a reprieve from the summer heat. It was a nice trip, but I agreed with my husband when he said he was “ready to go home.”

I thought about his remark this morning as I  completed another chapter of my book. I’m winding down. Writing it has been a good experience, but I’m ready to finish this latest book.

Although title, cover, publishing, marketing all lie ahead, I always feel I’m “home” once the writing is done.

If you’ve been looking forward to reading Sunset Pointe, you won’t have to wait much longer. It could be out by the first of the year, or perhaps it will find its “home” in the midst of this year’s Christmas releases.

Patience and Character Development

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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As an author, one of the skills I have learned is character development. In planning for my next book, I realized that the entire process of writing has helped in the development of my own character—specifically in the area of patience.

When ideas don’t come readily, I need the patience required to change directions, to write—and re-write, to let the characters evolve. 

Things like research, title selection, cover choice, and marketing take up a good deal of time.

All require patience. And patience is basically about time—about waiting—about pacing.

The more I exercise patience, the easier it is for me to concentrate and enjoy this time-consuming craft.

How about you? As an author, what character traits have you learned/developed that have made a difference in your writing?

Just A Few Words

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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I’ve been writing my blogs for more than ten years. When I first started them, I spent hours cranking out several pages.

But I soon learned that what people really wanted was just of few words of: encouragement 

suggestions

information

clever sayings

 jokes

A little blip on the screen… just a few words so readers can get onto the next blog, article, text, and so on.

So, if you’re an author considering starting a blog, it’s not as daunting as you might think.

Start with just a few words.

Who Said That?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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New authors often receive advice on attributions, commonly known as dialog tags. They are advised to almost exclusively use the word “said” rather than such words as “muttered, exclaimed, yelled,” and so on. This is because “said” is nearly invisible to readers, allowing them to concentrate on what is most important—the dialogue itself. 

Don’t overuse “he said” or “she said” at the end of every line of dialogue. If there are two speakers, only use them every few lines. However, don’t underuse them, either, because readers will be confused as to who is talking.

Misunderstood and Misused

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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One of the misunderstood and misused words by authors is myriad. You’ll see it used differently—and interchangeably—in many books.

It can be confusing because myriad can be used both as a noun and an adjective. 

As a noun, myriad usually means “great in number.” (Use the word, “of” in the sentence).

As an adjective, it means “many.” (Do not use the word “of” in the sentence).

Correct: She listed a myriad of reasons to divorce Melvin. (Meaning a great number).

Correct: There were myriad reasons to divorce Melvin. (Meaning many).

Confusing, huh? Since it is such a tricky word, why don’t writers simply avoid using it?

I think its because even though so many words/phrases can be substituted for myriad, none are quite as beautiful on paper and none sound quite as poetic when read aloud.

Myriad is simply one of the coolest words in a writer’s toolbox.

Updated Trends in Reading Audiences

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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It turns out that some of the “least-selling” books in 2024 were in the Romantasy category.

My husband often says I am always “a day late and a dollar short.” He was right in this case, I guess, because I had decided to follow the trend from 2023 and wrote my book, Remember Me: a Sonnet for Marigold, in 2024. It has performed below my expectations. This was partly because I published under the pen name, Mia Michaels, which was unknown to many of my readers. 

Surveyors say Limited Editions of premium books, such as J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy and Melania Trump’s, Melania are the biggest trends for 2025.

Following that, is a surge in Religious Books and in books about AI and its possible effects on the world.

So what am I doing? I’m going back to what I do best, Christian Fiction.

New Trends in Writing/Publishing

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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Many popular authors are stepping away from traditional publishing houses. 

Recent surveys tell us that successful authors say they do not need a publisher’s help with covers, editing, or advertising because they already have learned how to master these things on their own.

They report that they what they are concerned about is the creative control and ownership of their work, how to grow their sales, and how to get their books distributed into physical bookstores. 

Online classes are offering help in these areas. I have found Reedsy Discovery and DaveChesson’s Kindlepreneur to be the most helpful. 

It takes patience and time to learn from these, however. And once you’ve spent hours taking notes, authors find out that these companies offer their paid services in these areas (if you end up being as overwhelmed me you might look into this aspect…)

Since help is expensive, an alternative may be to form a writing “co-operative” in which authors with various areas of expertise help each other.

God Bless America

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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As I watched the fireworks on television July 4th, I enjoyed hearing three of my favorite songs of all time, God Bless America, Amazing Grace, and America the Beautiful.

Authors need inspiration and it is easy to see that these were showing their appreciation to God for the blessing of living in this great country of ours.

Whether in the form of songs, poetry, books, sculpture, or paintings, thank you to everyone who uses their talents to inspire the rest of us… to give us hope in the future… to express thanks in creative and unique ways.

Have You Thought About Writing a Book?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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81% of Americans, according to a 2017 Writer’s Digest survey, tell us that they have a book inside of them waiting to be written.   

The two reasons they give most often are:

  1. It sounds glamorous and exciting to say, “I’m an author!”
  2. They feel like they have been given a “calling” or “message” from God (or someone else) to share with the world.

Have you felt the urge to write? 

Please share your reasons why—and what might have kept you from attaining that goal.