Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
from Ruth Harris Anne and I wish happiness, health, and all the season’s blessings to our cherished readers and commenters. With the appearance of a new variant called Omicron, Covid has staged a resurgence. It feels to me as I write this from New York a few days before Christmas that we are living […]
By Anne R. Allen Ruth and I write this blog to give back to the writing community we’ve lived and worked in for many decades. We offer warnings about scams, plus tips and helpful suggestions for writing fiction and creative nonfiction that contemporary readers will want to buy. We say “we made the mistakes so […]
A Romantic Hero from Mr McGuffin may be a bit vague by Tara Sparling It’s Christmas Eve in Mr. McGuffin’s Plot Device and Writer Unblocking Emporium, and the end of a very busy season indeed. Writers queued outside the shop for weeks to avail of Mr McGuffin’s festive offer of a discounted shock plot twist […]
by Anne R. Allen I love to listen to local storytelling events — the ones that mimic the NPR “Moth” Radio Hour stories. They’re popular again in this area after the long shut-down. People gather around to tell true stories about events they’ve experienced. Alcohol or caffeine may be involved. I say they “mimic” the […]
by Ruth Harris There are some great reasons for writers to give thanks— That brilliant idea that comes out of nowhere just when you were about to give up. The reader who absolutely gets what you’re doing and says so in an intelligent, perceptive review. The google doc that goes everywhere you do seamlessly. Scrivener […]
by Anne R. Allen Early in my writing career, I wrote in secret — and hardly ever finished anything. If I got to the point where I could write “the end” on a piece, I’d bury it in a drawer. I was incapable of writing a whole novel. I always stopped after the first 40 […]
By Anne R. Allen Most writers have probably heard of “Upmarket fiction.” But you may have questions about it. Like, when should you use the term? And how do you figure out if your novel fits in the category? Is it considered a genre, like Romance or Mystery? And is it the same as “Book […]
by Anne R. Allen Clichés exist for a reason. A whole lot of people like them. That means they get over-exposed. Clichés represent a natural way of thinking. So don’t feel bad if your first draft has a clichéd opener. It’s part of the process. Here’s the most important thing for a new writer to […]
Unsupportive friends and family can make us feel separated from the world. by Anne R. Allen I’m always amazed at how many people I know — friends who would go out of their way to help me physically — cannot say one supportive thing about my writing. Some even ask for one of my books […]
by Ruth Harris What can we learn from authors who have gone from obscurity to success? The Everyday Star Are you dreaming of being a *superstar* like Stephen King or Nora Roberts? Really? Think about it. How realistic is it to imagine that you, too, can be SK or NR? Do you have any idea […]
By Nate Hoffelder With COVID-19 slowly becoming less of a pandemic, it looks like it might be safe to start gathering again in large groups. This means that it is time for introverted authors to start brushing off their people skills and get ready to meet readers at book fairs and public events. After 18 […]
Self-publishing isn’t about the author. It’s about pleasing the reader. by Anne R. Allen Easy self-publishing and the introduction of the e-reader brought seismic changes to the publishing world a decade ago. The “Kindle Revolution” propelled a bunch of smart authors from the slush pile to the top of Amazon’s bestseller lists. Suddenly writers had […]
The life cycle of a writer can be as predictable as a frog’s by Ruth Harris A glimmer of an idea sparks in the writer’s mind. You’re in the shower, just waking up, cooking dinner, mopping the floor, or on the way to the supermarket, dentist, or a hot date with The One. It’s the […]
