I've created a list of some fantastic business, self-help, and history books by black women authors.

Your story's plot is more than just a string of events. Learn how to write the perfect plot for your story by crafting it into a meaningful whole.

Writers usually become famous for the words they publish. But sometimes they have so much...

Have you ever wondered if your menstrual cycle affects how you should train? Turns out, it does! Depending on where you are in your cycle, different types of training can be more or less effective. So how do you figure out what to do when? That's where cycle syncing comes in. In this post, we'll teach you everything you need to know about cycle syncing – from how to figure out which type of training is best for your specific cycle phase, to tips for implementing it into your own routine. By the end, you'll be able to create a training plan that perfectly suits your body and helps you reach your fitness goals!

Here are six ways you can learn to pay attention to your visual imagination, mine it for its full wealth, and then craft a story that unforgettably shares the riches with your readers.

Extraordinary . . . stunning' - Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory 'Vivid details, visceral prose and strong willful women' - Angie Cruz, author of Dominicana Five generations of women, linked by blood and circumstance, by the secrets they share, and by a single book passed down through a family, with an affirmation scrawled in its margins: We are force. We are more than we think we are. 1866, Cuba: Maria Isabel is the only woman employed at a cigar factory, where each day the workers find strength in daily readings of Victor Hugo. But these are dangerous political times, and as Maria begins to see marriage and motherhood as her only options, the sounds of war are approaching. 1959, Cuba: Dolores watches her husband make for the mountains in answer to Fidel Castro's call to arms. What Dolores knows, though, is that to survive, she must win her own war, and commit an act of violence that threatens to destroy her daughter Carmen's world. 2016, Miami: Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, is shocked when her daughter Jeanette announces her plans to travel to Cuba to see her grandmother Dolores. In the walls of her crumbling home lies a secret, one that will link Jeanette to her past, and to this fearless line of women. From nineteenth-century cigar factories to present-day detention centres, from Cuba to the United States to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia's Of Women and Salt follows Latina women of fierce pride, bound by the stories passed between them. It is a haunting meditation on the choices of mothers and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their truth despite those who wish to silence them.; 224 pages; Published: 03/02/2022

Balance is the key when it comes to hormones like estrogen. Learn more about its importance and 21 estrogen rich foods that you should include in your diet.

Looking for delightful Pinterest boards for authors and writers to follow? Here are 30 Pinterest boards specifically for you.

Writers Write is your one-stop writing resource. These lists will help you select the character traits you need for the characters in your books.

Virginia Woolf understood as well as anyone the long-term effects that viruses could wreak on bodies, and on societies.

Want to learn how I grew my Author Website to over 1800 Newsletter Subscribers in on year as an UNPUBLISHED Author? In this Webinar, you'll learn: Why having an Author Website + Newsletter is the best way to grow your following and keep people engaged How I Grew to 1800 Newsletter Subscribers in 1 Year...

Authors need to start growing an audience right away - but how can you do that if you don't have a book? I'll show you how!

Behind the Net is a romance about a girl who becomes the assistant and roommate of a grumpy goalie named Jamie. They grow close, rediscover their passions,

Take advantage of daylight saving time by curling up on a park bench with one of the eight books we're excited to read this spring.

Discover the five most important secrets of good storytelling--which also happen to be the five most common problems in modern books and movies.

Looking for the best fantasy books by black authors? Check out our list with the most exciting popular fantasy books & the new 2021 releases.

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4 Scenes you can write That Reveal Who Your Character Is Seamlessly and professionally. Use these scenes to reveal your characters in stories

Interested in getting paid for your writing? You love to write, but you’re having a hard time finding places that pay writers. Well, did you know that there are magazines that pay writers? Yes!! Some of them pay up to $1.25/word for 3000 words! Yikes, pay all your bills and have some leftover for some […]

There are many things that I could stand to improve in as a writer‒say, everything‒but I have been told that one of the things that I have halfway down is creating characters. Since I started sharing my writing a year or two ago, I have heard time and time again that my characters are alive, so I sat down today, thought about my character process, and put together my strategy. Getting to know your characters is a lot like getting to know real people. You must spend time with them‒or in the case of characters, think on them. You must consider how all of their traits feed into other ones, and how they affect them. It’s easier said than done, but I do believe that with some practice, it can be as natural as getting ideas, and far simpler than English grammar. So here is the list that I compiled of things to consider‒in order of what I believe to be more important to less important. Flaws Quirks Interests Preferences Kind of vague, isn’t it? Here’s the more in-depth version with one of my characters being used as an example. Flaws‒Aaand this is the one that makes people people. It’s also the one that writers seem to enjoy to leave out, and I think I know why. This is why: Flaws make people less-desirable, (while some won’t admit that they think that, it’s the underlying reason for all of the picture-perfect characters in books), and people are afraid of people not liking their characters. But with that said, people are not interesting without flaws. Character‒These are the more plot-affecting flaws, usually. They’re the problems such as “not knowing when to shut up”, “finding other’s misfortunes hilarious”, or even “a tendency to lie about everything”. The latter is one of the character flaws of my character, Riley. Psychological‒These are the flaws that give the characters more depth of mind, in my opinion. Personality disorders and disabilities are good additions to any character, even though they in themselves are not good things. For example, Riley is a borderline sociopath. That makes her very complex, as well as creating a great deal of tension between her and the other characters, Physical‒I don’t find this one to be the most important, but it adds some depth as well. Imperfect people are much easier to sympathize with than the golden people we read about who have perfectly symmetrical faces and flawless physique. I don’t really enjoy reading about those people, unless there is a good reason for it. (i.e., the character is a model or the result of a genetic experiment. In which case, perfection is almost acceptable. ;) ) Riley is short‒not quite 5 feet tall‒and weighs more than would be acceptable according to most modeling agencies guidelines. Which doesn’t quite fit the cookie-cutter character list, if ya get me. Quirks‒My personal favorite. As a person who is quite quirky, as well as loving adversity, this has always been the category that I don’t run out of ideas for. So now are your characters not only imperfect, they are also unusual. It’s starting to sound like a nightmare for every Mary-Jane in the world! (It’s starting to sound real. *gasp*) Speech‒I personally love different voices. Accents, improper uses of long words, improper grammar‒they make speech a fun thing to listen to. Not lawful, (grammarly speaking,) but fun. (What fun is obeying every rule? Not much.) Riley’s manner of speech and her isms are subtle, but “there” enough that she doesn’t sound like the others. For example, when someone asks her a question, the order in which she replies is unusual. Like this: “Are you okay?” “I’m okay, yeah. It’s been a weird week, but I’m okay. Man, I’d like a break.” And that’s the way she talks. She never says yes, just “yeah”, and she directly refers to people as “man”, even if they’re not. Mannerisms‒These are not my strong suit, but I know that they’re important. Things like wringing your hands when you’re nervous, clearing your throat when you have nothing to say, and pursing your lips are all different mannerisms‒and all people have them. That should make it obvious that all characters should have them, too. Riley smirks a lot‒very generic, I know. Don’t judge my lack of creativity, hehe‒and when she cries she does so without making any noise. (I really need to work on giving my characters mannerisms.) Fears‒(This one probably could have been placed with the “Flaws”, but I thought it more of a quirk, since it isn’t exactly something that is wrong with people.) Fears are the darkest parts of people’s subconscious. They influence the character’s behavior, the other characters’ behavior, and the plot of the story. They’re very important, in other words. In my recently finished manuscript, Riley has a horrible fear of water, caused by an accident in her teenage years, which entangles itself throughout the entire story and gives her character some flavor. (She seems completely collected and arrogant, but water turns her into a frightened child.) Interests‒These are fun, but a bit harder to think of. I mean, it’s pretty simple to give non-cliché interests to characters. But at the same time, it’s a lot of fun to give them things to do aside from carrying the plot on their shoulders‒and it’s even more fun to think about. (I daydream a lot.) Hobbies‒Ah, yes. The silver lining of the cloud of the subject. Give them a love of art, of sports, of literature‒is there anything more fun than designing lives? My only advice: to go crazy. Don’t rationalize the hobby thing. That’s the fun of it. (Riley loves to prank people, play video games, and be dramatic. She would have more hobbies, but her life hasn’t been very supportive of normal pastimes.) Dreams‒Some characters have more dreams than others. Not all characters have to have many dreams. After all, not all people dream about a better future, learning how to fly an airplane, or solving world hunger. Some people are just more grounded in the present, are more rational, and for that reason don’t dream. But for your more fanciful characters, dreams are the icing on the cake. The hopes, dreams, desires, and etc. are the things that drive the plot forward. Riley, however, unlike her fellow characters, doesn’t really dream at all. She knows what’s up and doesn’t really think about the future. (It’s a dangerous habit to get into. Just ask her.) Preferences‒The less important category of individual qualities, preferences are the finishing details of the character. But details are fun. Don’t let their lesser importance stop you from making them unique. =) Style‒This encompasses two different things‒clothes and other appearance factors. What is your character’s style like? How do they wear their hair? If relevant, do they wear makeup? What kind of clothes do they wear? Do they dress eccentrically? These are all fun things to consider. Riley doesn’t wear makeup or do her hair, and she dresses very casually. These things make her much more real, personality-wise. Her personality and her style match perfectly, which is the way it’s supposed to be. Dislikes‒Haha… how fun. Give them something to hate. Find a food, an animal, or basically anything that they can’t stand, and let them do the rest. Whining makes it authentic, if the character is prone to that sort of shenanigans. Riley doesn’t like nosy people or following rules. Does that help you? I hope so‒that was my intention with sharing the list, anyway. Tell me what you think! And I’ll see you all again next week, with another post. (Don’t know what about yet, though.) ~Alyssa

Must-read books by black female authors 1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, 2. Kindred, 3. The PoetX, 4. The Hate You give, 5. Queenie, Girl with a Louding Voice

A mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing—and for the conjuring of curses—are at the heart of this dazzling first novel  LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • “Lush, irresistible . . . It took me into the hearts of women I could otherwise never know. I was transported.”—Amy Bloom, New

If you're struggling to grow or connect with readers on Instagram, this post is for you! Find out my best strategies and tips to dramatically grow your audience on Instagram.

The beloved children’s author has sold 10 million books worldwide.

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The Nobel laureate, who died this week, made the world bigger for all of us.

Why does your mentor character suck? Because you're writing them wrong. I'll tell you how to write your mentor right, and ditch the old wise man trope.

by Alli Dyer (Author) A woman returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia, where a conjuring meant to protect the community may have summoned something sinister in this lush, shimmering, and wildly imaginative debut novel, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Deborah Harkness, and Sarah Addison Allen. Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her new life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva. Lee vows to stay far away from Belva's world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother's spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva's magic may have conjured something far more sinister. As she and her family search for answers, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power in order to protect her family and the town she couldn't leave behind. Number of Pages: 320 Dimensions: 1.2 x 9.1 x 6.6 IN