Entertaining the Muse by Catharine Bramkamp
I’m not a fan of Sara Gilbert per se, but she delivered a great TED talk on the Muse. And based on that talk she has just published a book on creativity called Big Magic
Writer's Fun Zone by Beth Barany
Ready to Roar! By Nevada McPherson
If you could give yourself a present for the holidays that would improve your life, your art and your relationships with others, what would it be? For me it would the gift of confidence! Having confidence in yourself as a writer and as an artist is crucial to your success and to your very survival in what can often seem to be an indifferent world. To have confidence in yourself is to appreciate and treasure your uniqueness and singular point of view that no one else in the world has.
Let’s Talk Editing Fiction with Beth Barany + Catharine Bramkamp
I’ve been running weekly live chat on Blab.im on Wednesdays, 2pm Pacific/5pm Eastern. You can subscribe here. In my weekly live #askaWritingCoach chat this week, Catharine Bramkamp and I chatted about editing your fiction....
How Valuable is Feedback to an Author? by Carol Malone
It’s been a long standing tradition that writing contests are not only good for finding those story jewels ready to be published, but they serve as a great platform for feedback even if the author doesn’t win the contest.
Taking off the Holiday Blinders by Jason Leister
I was out hiking with my wife yesterday on Thanksgiving and everyone was extra nice. I saw families spending time together. It looked like people were actually enjoying themselves.
Writing Can Be a Real Bear (or Eagle, or Deer) by Wyatt Bessing
As a relief from my freeway commute in the mornings, I’ll sometimes get off and head west toward the Pacific coastal range, past ranches and pastures, over rolling hills and through redwood groves.
Let’s Talk Fiction with Beth Barany and Heather Dakota
I’ve been running weekly live chat on Blab.im on Wednesdays, 2pm Pacific/5pm Eastern. You can subscribe here. This week’s chat was a little different. We opened up the chat to not just novel writing, but...
Why Enter A Contest For a Critique? by Carol Malone
When I started writing years ago, I would have given anything for the opportunity to have a professional in the writing world take a look at my story, tell me I was brilliant. I was so thrilled to give my story to family and friends and then hurt and disappointed when they either didn’t finish reading it or dodged me when I asked them if they liked it.
Story Advice from Alfred Hitchcock by Dave M. Strom
I’m an Alfred Hitchcock fan. He was the master of suspense, and he has influenced my writing. Here are links to short interviews by The American Film Institute.
Courses + Coaching for Novelists! Big Winter Sale on Now!
Are you working on your novel? Either writing or marketing? If you’d like to be, enjoy this Big Winter Sale! In honor of winter and the holidays in the Northern Hemisphere, I’m offering a 33-50% off...
Characters and Their Sensory Limitations: POV and Description by Susanne Lakin
Few writers pay much attention to character placement, but this is something of paramount concern to filmmakers, and a subject I cover in depth in Shoot Your Novel. A director has to lay out his camera shots, deciding when a close-up shot would be more effective than a long shot, for example. He may want the camera positioned far away from the action, to make details unclear and evoke curiosity or misinterpretation. Or he may have an extreme close-up to ensure viewers don’t miss a tiny detail that is crucial to the plot.
Don’t Rush Your Writing by Deanna Jackson
About 3 months ago I submitted my writing to a chapter contest for Romance Writers of America. I received the feedback a little over a month ago and am just now writing a post about it because I was too embarrassed to share before.
Deadlines Are Your Friend
Today I want to talk about deadlines and how they are your friend. Or would that be friends? The power of this November during Nanowrimo lies in that it’s a deadline, and a collective...
Ignore the Fear and Write! by Jami Gray
We all face it, that frightening moment when our flying fingers pause mid-motion over the keyboard. Wait, was that the wrong tense? Did I say that before? Is that a realistic reaction from my character? Oh pink elephants, that’s too predictable!
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