• HOME
  • ABOUT RAYNE
  • BOOKS
    • The Secret Song of Shelby Rey
    • A Song For The Road
    • Dream Up Now
    • My Life Journal
  • EVENTS
    • Speaking Engagements
    • Help Students Manage Their Emotions
    • Developmental Editing
    • Book Clubs
    • Writing Topics for 8–12th Grade
    • Creative Writing for K-8th Grade
  • BLOG
  • MEDIA ROOM
  • CONTACT
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

Thoughts on Plots (and whatnot) with James Thayer

by MKMarketing | Mar 8, 2011 | Best Writer Tips, Fiction Novel Writing, For the love of writing, Guest posts

When people ask what your book is about, they are really asking about the plot. A response: “It’s about two German Shepherds sniffing for buried treasure,” only scrapes the surface. Why dogs? Why that breed? What kind of treasure? Where? When? What...

Act One: 10 Essential Elements

by MKMarketing | Oct 8, 2010 | Best Writer Tips, Fiction Novel Writing, For the love of writing, Guest posts

I’m a little addicted to the The Script Lab. As I worry over and scrutinize my fiction novel, tweets about screen-writing from @TheScriptLab interject with lucid, helpful, applicable ideas. My blog is for creatives of all stripes, and ideas for good writing can...

Television as Teacher: 5 things we can learn from TV writers and their characters

by MKMarketing | Sep 5, 2010 | Best Writer Tips, Fiction Novel Writing, For the love of writing, Guest posts, Who is Writing What?

A few weeks ago I attended the Writers Faire at UCLA. There were over 45 seminars on the craft of writing, presented by a humbling variety of the nation’s finest authors, poets and screenwriters—who just happen to teach at UCLA. (I’m salivating as I...

Crafting the Perfect Outline Identifying 5 Major Plotpoints

by MKMarketing | Aug 9, 2010 | Best Writer Tips, Fiction Novel Writing, Guest posts

We can all agree on one thing: there is no one perfect recipe for cooking up a good story. The same goes for crafting an outline. Trust me, I’m elbows deep in it, and everywhere I seek advice, I’m given a different perspective. I am a big fan of...

What are your favorite books for writers?

by MKMarketing | Jun 28, 2010 | Fiction Novel Writing, For the love of writing, Freelance Writing, Who is Writing What?

There are countless high-quality publications available on the subject of writing. Some of my all-time faves? I can’t remember how many times I’ve joyfully referred back to Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, and Vein of Gold. Superb, helpful,...
« Older Entries
Next Entries »
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

©2026 by Rayne Lacko | YA Fiction & Nonfiction Speaker & Author | Designed by HuntleyLand Designs