Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
by Jim Denney I’ve been concerned about various threats from artificial intelligence for several years — threats to the economy, threats to our civil society, and even threats to human existence. I became even more alarmed about artificial intelligence when I discovered that AI systems are chronic, pathological liars. In early 2023, I began […]
Want to have a professional writing career? by Ruth Harris You started out with dreams of a professional writing career, didn’t you? And then you achieved your goals, didn’t you? But now what? You thought being a professional, published writer would liberate you from the routine of a day job. You also thought you’d be […]
by Anne R. Allen I’m often approached by parents or grandparents of children who’ve shown a talent for writing. They ask how a child can learn to be a writer. Or sometimes a person going through a mid-life job change will ask my advice about going back to college to pursue a long-deferred writing dream. […]
by Ruth Harris We all know them. Each of us has encountered them. They are the pilot fish and blood suckers with literary stars in their eyes who wannabe — drumroll — A Writer! Wannabe writers come to you with gauzy fantasies about “inspiration” and visions of overnight fame and instant riches. And they have […]
by Anne R. Allen “Leave your critique group” was my editor’s advice after my first full-length novel, Food of Love, came out with his UK publishing house. He said he didn’t want a bunch of wannabes messing with my work. He had a point, and I understood what he meant. But the members of […]
by Melodie Campbell I’m a crime writer. Hell, I’ll put on my other hat (the one with the pointy top) and say it. I’ve also been a fantasy writer (same pen name, different genre.) So I know about suspension of disbelief. I’m willing to admit that as an audience, we might agree to ‘suspend belief’ […]
by Anne R. Allen Back in 2002, a New York Times survey showed 81% of Americans want to write a book. With the indie ebook revolution, the percentage has only expanded. Of course, most of that 81+% won’t ever write a word. There’s an old, unkind joke that says, “Most people think they have a […]
by Anne R. Allen A trendy word in publishing recently is “autofiction,” short for “autobiographical fiction.” The term isn’t new. It was first invented in 1977 by author Serge Doubrovsky when talking about his memoir-sh novel, Fils. And what about those Creative Nonfiction essays that fill literary magazines? (A goldmine for memoir writers.) Can you […]
Charisma can have a dangerous side by Ruth Harris You know who they are. The superstars. The BFDs. They get the best tables, fly private, live on palatial estates. They are the ones who Have. It. All. They’re actors, influencers, corporate honchos, entertainers, TV personalities, rock stars, religious leaders, politicians and presidents. They’re the Superstars, […]
by Anne R. Allen This week, editor and former agent Nathan Bransford published a blogpost that I wanted to send to all the beginning writers I know. The title is: If You Think Writing is Easy you’re Probably Not Very Good At It. It’s a little harsher than what we usually hear from good-natured […]
Plus a COVER REVEAL!! by Anne R. Allen The term “beta reader” gets thrown around a lot in writerly circles, but I’ve discovered an awful lot of writers don’t really understand what they do. The term “beta” reader seems to come from the gaming industry. Early game developers would ask certain customers to test games […]
by Ruth Harris Meh. With a Shrug. The book’s not terrible. Not at all. The settings are well-drawn, the dialogue’s more than halfway decent, the reader can even tell one character from another — but, bottom line, it’s meh. With a shrug. Something’s missing. What’s the x factor? What’s the mysterious something that turns meh into mahvelous? OMG. Are […]
Happy New Year to all pre-published and published authors! by Anne R. Allen I’ve been looking over some old journals from 25-30 years ago, and it’s amazing how many years I made a New Year’s resolution to become a published author. And it’s amazing how many years it didn’t happen. The journals gave me a […]
