Constructive Criticism by Raina Schell
When you’re a fledging writer you will probably receive two kinds of input. The first is constructive criticism and the second is unconstructive criticism or as I like to call it = Bull$h!t
Writer's Fun Zone by Beth Barany
Leaps, Walls, Falls, and Baby Steps By Deb Lund
Remember learning to walk? Of course you don’t, or if you do, you’re among the very few. That “not remembering” might be why, as a writer, we leap, hit the wall, and fall down a lot. We need to take baby steps.
Finding a Plot Structure by Kay Keppler
Plotting is hard for many people. Sage advice says to start with characters, and when you know those people well enough, their behavior alone will launch the conflict. But you have to get to know them, and to do that, you need to start somewhere.
Getting Into The Swing of Things by Annmarie Miles
On top of holiday madness, we relocated from Ireland to the UK. So for a while, the only writing I was doing was putting numbers on labels and sticking them to boxes. Not very creative, but I’ll be glad I did it when I’m finally reunited with my belongings. 🙂
Writing Dazzling Narrative Readers Won’t Skip Over by Carol Malone
“It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.” — Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford (1830)
Teleseminar: Beth Barany on How to Write Better Nonfiction
Enjoy this teleseminar discussion I had on the writing process and the strategies that professional authors use to write captivating content. I was graciously interviewed by Stephanie Chandler, president and founder of the Nonfiction...
Book Publicity Idea: Link Your Book to Holidays and Special Events By Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications
One creative way to get publicity for your book is to tie it to a holiday or special event. You’ll be able to reach out to the media who often need a ‘reason’ to showcase your book right now. Furthermore you may be able to reach your audience on a more personal level by promoting your book alongside a national holiday, theme month, or cause. There are thousands of holidays that celebrate various concepts as well as traditional holidays that can be used to market your book; you just have to find them.
Q&A With Fantasy Author, Sandra Schepis
What inspired me to write the Isles of Olympus series? Originally I thought I would only create one book out of this tale, but it grew to be so much more, and so a trilogy was made. I had toiled with this story idea for about three years before actually sitting down and committing myself to writing it, I wanted something that my children would read, and something that I would enjoy as well as I was finding it hard to find books to capture my interests.
Using AIDA To Sell Your Books By Ines Johnson
Book trailers are visual depictions of a book’s storyline, sometimes made by fans, which are a great way to get readers enthused. But have you ever considered making a book commercial?
NaNo is Over but Your Writing JuJu has Just Begun By Raina Schell
In the spirit of NaNo past I wanted to focus this month’s article on “how to take it with you.” For those of you who don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writer’s Month where the challenge is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. If you haven’t done it before I suggest you do!
“The Darcy Arc” by Ines Johnson
In Jane Austen’s timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice, we all detest the dashingly handsome, but stuck up, Mr. Darcy in the beginning. After a poorly-contrived declaration of love at Rosings Park and a secret act of kindness, we all realize we’ve misjudged Mr. Darcy and fall madly in love with the sensitive, lovestruck gentleman. This is what I affectionately call The Darcy Arc. It has worked in The Twilight Saga with Edward and Bella, The Hunger Games with Peeta and Katniss, and even Sex in the City with Mr. Big and Carrie.
A successful Darcy Arc can be accomplished in seven steps.
“Why is this Taking so Long?” by Nevada McPherson
As I begin art work on my third graphic novel, I realize there are things I learned from creating the first two that will definitely influence the way I work on this one. If you’re involved in a long project of your own you know that completing it is a daunting task and one that sometimes looks so difficult it’s easy to get discouraged.
Favorite Places to Write When Traveling: Paris Cafes!
Whether you’re passing through a town or city, or settling in for an extended stay, you’re going to want to find a regular place to write. Perhaps it’s your hotel room, a cafe, retreat...
Tis The Season To Be Writing By Annmarie Miles
It’s a busy season for us all, and so easy to get caught up in everything that has to be done at this time of year. I know I struggle to write when I am distracted and flustered with a to-do list that is longer than the page I’m writing it on.
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