Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
The publishing roller coaster can drive you nuts if you let it. by Ruth Harris I don’t really have to tell you, do I? Success followed by failure. Ups followed by crashes. Sinatra sang it: Flying high in April. Shot down in May. Moodswings. One week you pop the Dom Perignon. The next, you’re knee […]
Unexamined beliefs can keep a writer in a prison of your own making. by Anne R. Allen “Think outside the box” has become a mindless cliché these days. It’s repeated so often that the meaning has pretty much disappeared. But it’s still excellent advice—if you know how to follow it. Unfortunately, most people are unaware […]
Romancing your new book idea: when to give in—and when to give up. by Ruth Harris Falling in love is easy. We’re swept away, starry-eyed, giddy with possibility. This time it’s different. Really! But is it? The Old Book Blues. You’ve done it. Again! You’ve written yourself into a blind alley. You’re stuck, blocked, out […]
Launching a writing career is hard–especially with family sabotage. by Anne R. Allen Learning to write well is tough. Getting published is tougher. And selling your published books is tougher still. Nevertheless, we persist. Most writers feel compelled to write, and usually nothing can stop us. But we can be waylaid, distracted, and seriously discouraged. […]
Crisis management during an online attack needs a quick, savvy response. by Chris Syme I know what you’re thinking. You see the word crisis and say, that will never happen to me. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you are wrong. As with all public figures, a reputation-tanking, book-disappearing, fan-stalking, Twitter-storm crisis can happen to […]
by Anne R. Allen I recommend that new writers take advantage of critique groups in order to learn about the publishing business and the craft of writing. Writing courses are expensive and often not as helpful as a good critique group. But there are bad critique groups too. Really bad. I’ve seen authors stop writing […]
Maybe what readers want is peace and quiet and good books. by Anne R. Allen The latest trend in online marketing is building a “personal relationship” with customers and readers. Sending newsy emails about your fab summer vacation isn’t enough anymore. Now you have to ask them about their fab summer vacations. This is supposed […]
Book marketing–we all have to do it. Don’t neglect your hometown! by Sue McGinty Whether you’re an indie or traditionally published writer, you can do a lot to promote and sell your book in and around your hometown. Here are some things that have worked for me. Get acquainted with the folks at your local […]
by Anne R. Allen I blog often about an author’s online presence and the importance of keeping your image squeaky clean, especially when you’re starting a writing career. That image is sometimes called your “author persona.” Artists have always had personas—an image they project when they are in public. It may involve a way of […]
Why procrastination feels so awful…and proven techniques to get you on the path to productivity. by Ruth Harris We really, really want to write our book/next chapter/next scene, but we don’t. Instead, we Organize our sock drawer. Search for the missing sock. It must be somewhere. The washing machine? The dryer? Under the bed? Under the dog’s […]
How to avoid boring your readers following “what you know” writing rules by E. J. Runyon I just finished reading Anne’s March post about how you don’t always want to follow the rule that advises, ‘Write What You Know’. It made me wonder how many writers understand that it’s only a ‘Writing Rule’ for getting […]
Are you procrastinating, or nurturing your creativity? by Ruth Harris Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration—at least according to Thomas Edison. The point is that writers (and geniuses) don’t work only when inspired. Much of the time, the reality is that writing a book or parsing the time-space continuum is a day-to-day […]
Mary Sue is not your friend. No matter how much your Mom likes her. by Anne R. Allen. You can learn all you want about writing powerful prose, well-planned story arcs, lyrical descriptions—or any other aspect of fiction—but if you don’t have a protagonist your readers care about, none of the rest matters. But “caring […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris