What a writer wants for Christmas. Please, Santa? by Tara Sparling Dear Santa, This year I have been a very good writer. I did all my homework, cheered on my fellow authors, and accepted rejections with grace and good humour. Smashed through writer’s block and only lost faith in myself every other Tuesday. Rewrote Chapter […]
You’ve Finished Your First Novel! What to Do Now: 7 Do’s and Don’ts
Win #NaNoWriMo? Time to celebrate! Especially if it’s your first novel. by Anne R. Allen. Did you win #NaNo? Is it a first novel? Congratulations!!! Only about 3% of people who start novels actually finish, so you’re a major winner right there. You’ve done something spectacular. So break out the bubbly and savor the moment! […]
In Their Own Words: Authors Give Thanks (Or Not) with Some Inspiring Writing Quotes.
This Thanksgiving, we’re offering some inspiring writing quotes from some of our favorite authors. (Plus some anonymous funnies.) by Ruth Harris Editing, revising and rewriting— “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.” — Oscar Wilde […]
Stupid Writing Rules: Why to Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Writing Advice.
by Anne R. Allen Ruth Harris and I have both written about how there are no rigid rules for writing good fiction, only guidelines. Even guidelines don’t apply to everybody. Every genre has its own conventions. What is de rigeur for a romance can be deadly in a thriller. And what readers expect in a […]
Confessions of a Slow Writer: Why NaNoWriMo isn’t for Everybody
by Anne R. Allen We live in a speed-obsessed civilization. Whatever it is we crave—cars, trains, electronics, food, dates—we want them ever-faster-and-furiouser. In fact, much of the developed world seems to be engaged some turbocharged drag race of the soul, hurtling our frenzied selves from cradle to grave, terrified of slowing for even a […]
Creativity Wounds: Can NaNoWriMo Help Overcome Them?
Creativity wounds: the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism. by Anne R. Allen. A couple of weeks ago, Grant Faulkner, executive director of NaNoWriMo, wrote a short piece for Jane Friedman’s blog about what he calls “creativity wounds.” The post resonated with me. Oh, yeah, I know about creativity wounds! I have to admit that […]
Think Small: 32 Quick, Painless Fixes for Writing Microblocks and Miniglitches
Don’t let writing molehills become mountains: solve those microblocks and miniglitches! by Ruth Harris We’re not talking about soul-shredding writers’ block here or the kind of mega mess that requires major revision. Or professional editorial help. Or even a trip to the trash. Instead, I’m talking about the no-big-deal, pesky little hold ups and hang […]
10 Books to Help Writers When You’re Discouraged, Blocked, or Feel Like You’re Not a Real Writer
Feeling like you’re not a real writer? Fight self-doubt with these books. by Janet Boyer What are the true enemies of writers—those monsters that haunt, harangue and harass? After twenty years of writing—the last decade spent as a traditionally-published non-fiction author and Amazon.com Hall of Fame Reviewer—I’ve chased down those #*@#$!% fiends and took names. […]
What Ian Fleming Did to Make James Bond a Success (Besides Write Terrific Books)
Ian Fleming worked as hard on marketing as today’s authors. by Ruth Harris. It’s not just today’s authors who work hard. Consider Ian Fleming. The Man With The Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming’s James Bond Letters is a collection by Fleming’s nephew of the author’s letters to his publisher, editors, colleagues, other writers, fans, readers, and friends. […]
Create Believable “Troubled” Characters by Studying Personality Disorders.
Personality disorders can create a distorted self-image. by Anne R. Allen. Most of the truly rotten villains in fiction are what used to be called “psychopaths.” (Now clinically known as people with ASPD: Anti-Social Personality Disorder.) These are people who have no conscience and no empathy. But psychopaths can make boring fiction. Psychopathic villains have […]
6 Steps to Achieving Zen-Like Writer Efficiency
by Dave Chesson. I’m a big believer in making the most of the time we have to write and getting the best possible output from it. After all, for most writers, time is the ultimate luxury. We can always experience ebbs and flows in sales or followers, but time is truly a finite resource. Once […]
Writers and the “F” Word: Coping With Failure
by Ruth Harris I’ve been published for decades. Random House and Simon & Schuster paid me well to publish my books in hard cover and paperback. My books have sold millions of copies, been translated into 19 languages, and appeared on Amazon and NYTimes bestseller lists. Shouldn’t I know by now wtf I’m doing? Shouldn’t […]
Want Reviews, Guest Posts, Spotlights, Interviews? Treat Bloggers With Respect!
I’m tired of book bloggers getting no respect. by Anne R. Allen The contempt some business people have for bloggers never ceases to amaze me. Every day I get emails demanding I do free work for companies that are obviously solvent enough to hire employees—so why do they imagine it’s okay to demand that bloggers […]
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