Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
Alas, publishing is about the bottom line, not warm fuzzies and gold stars. by Anne R. Allen The biggest obstacle many new writers face in making the leap from beginning writer to professional author is accepting that publishing is a business. Newbie writers have often taken creative writing courses or read books that urge them […]
Saying goodbye to that WIP can be bittersweet.. by Anne R. Allen I’ve recently had discussions with several writers who have been pondering saying goodbye to that WIP they’ve been laboring at for years. All of them wanted to move on for different reasons. All of their reasons were valid. Unfortunately, the writers felt it […]
A visit from your muse: the gift you give yourself. by Ruth Harris “What The Subconscious is to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.” ~ Ray Bradbury What Ray Bradbury called the muse, Stephen King called the “guys in the basement.” Others call it the sixth sense, the Spidey […]
A creative writing teacher has to deal with a lot. By Melodie Campbell It all started in 1992. I’d won a couple of crime fiction awards, and the local college came calling. Did I want to come on faculty and teach in the writing program? Hell, yes! (Pass the scotch.) Over the years, I continued […]
Even if you have the writing talent of Lord Byron, you need these things. by Anne R. Allen I understand why new writers want to be reassured they have writing talent. They don’t want to embark on the long road to a writing career if they don’t have the chops. So I have sympathy with […]
Ruth and Anne wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2018. As Anne wrote earlier this month, you run into a lot of bogus information about writing in the Internet age. Other advice you run into can be helpful…but be wary of taking it all as gospel. Remember that rigid rules usually lead to […]
The first Christmas card was sent soon after Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was published. by Anne R. Allen As we approach the frantic season known as “The Holidays,” I always ask myself, “Why do we do it?” Why do I make fake snowdrifts around a dying tree in my sunny California living room and […]
Writing clichés are allowed at Christmastime, even welcomed! by Tara Sparling When it comes to Christmas, writers and writing are inextricably linked. The rites and rituals of the season are handed down from year to year through books, TV, movies, and song. But where are the festive songs about writers? I searched high and low, but […]
Even new writers need to keep an author bio on hand. By Anne R. Allen The author bio on your social media, blog or website is one of the most important things you’ll ever write, so you want to put some thought into it. It’s what’s going to define you for agents, readers, editors, journalists, […]
by Anne R. Allen Okay, I’ll confess: I have never been tempted to join in NaNoWriMo. That doesn’t mean I don’t admire the heck out of people who can do it. Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in a little over month. You can’t argue with that kind of success. But some writers prefer to […]
If you write and you’re not a wooden puppet carved by an old Italian guy named Gepetto, you’re a real writer. by Anne R. Allen I’ve read a lot of articles recently about what it means to be a “real writer.” Each one is based on a different definition of what a “real writer” is. […]
Ben Franklin used many pen names. Should you? by Anne R. Allen Should you use different pen names if you write in different genres? Do you need to write under a pseudonym because people at work might find out you write steamy romances? Is it easier to write freely if you hide your real identity […]
Predators are looking for newbies who make these mistakes. by Anne R. Allen We all make mistakes. It’s how people learn. But some new writer mistakes can end a writing career before it starts. They play into the hands of the predators who make money off the delusions of newbie writers. Ruth and I are […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris