Some view their fiction as a hobby. Many part-timers harbor a secret desire to produce the next best-seller - or even something good enough to submit to a publisher or agent. Some write with publishing as their only goal. Others do it for the enjoyment and self-satisfaction it brings with no such intentions, expecting nothing beyond a little spot on the web and a pat on the back from family and friends.

This area of Spookamania is dedicated to passing along what I, Spooky, have learned along the way and also what advice other writers have to offer. Over the years since I first offered a poorly written "The Girl in the Tower" to the Harry Potter fan community, many, many readers have asked for my help and/or guidance. I always considered myself quite the amature - and I am really - but some of the work I've seen made me realize I may have a bit more of the gift than others. While that may or may not be true, I offer you my knowledge. Feel free to send me yours as well and I'll add it to these pages so others can learn what you've learned. Just remember, no one here is a professional or pretends to be a master of the craft.

With that being said, there is one truth that cannot be denied. You either have it or you don't. No matter how many classes you take, no matter how many workshops you attend, no matter how hard you study these pages, no matter how many books you read, if you weren't born a writer you will never be great. Don't let me discourage you. This doesn't mean you can't produce well-thought, articulate and enjoyable stories. You can still be good but talent is something you have at birth and it can't be learned. Look at it like this... if I earned a masters degree in painting and practiced everyday, I would still be a painter, never an artist. Why? Because I have no talent.