Writing about writing. Mostly.
by Ruth Harris Lists will make writing your book faster and easier — and bail you out when you get stuck. Lists. Grocery lists. Laundry lists. To do lists. Playlists. Witness lists Bucket lists. Wait lists Watch lists Lists run our lives. Lists keep us on track. Lists keep things simple. Lists make things clear. […]
by Anne R. Allen Mickey Spillane famously said “They read to get to the end. If it’s a letdown, they won’t buy anymore. The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.” I can see the creative writing students rolling their eyes. Mickey Spillane wasn’t exactly a great prose stylist. But […]
by Anne R. Allen For the past couple of years, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc. have been gobbling up literary properties to make into films and TV series. So I guess it was inevitable that scammers would find a way to exploit the phenomenon. Here’s a 2019 article from Publishers Weekly about […]
You can plan your novel even if you’re a pantser by Beth Barany Even as an experienced novelist, I still need a roadmap to follow when I’m starting a new novel. When I was a beginner, I really needed a roadmap that worked for me. Which is why I created these tools, especially designed for […]
Why you should write that author bio now by Ruth Harris The book you poured your heart into languishes on your hard drive like the wallflower at the dance — slumped shoulders, wilted corsage and all. Your crit group tries to be encouraging, but the message is clear. Go to plumbing school/welding school where you will learn […]
by Anne R. Allen Bad marketing is worse than none. And I’ve seen some breathtakingly bad marketing strategies recently. I assume authors are hiring cut-rate online marketers who have more experience selling real estate in Mumbai and knock-off designer sunglasses than books. Do I need to say this is a bad idea? Being annoying may […]
by Melodie Campbell This month, I will have the privilege of interviewing both Ian Rankin and Linwood Barclay, at separate conferences and festivals. Both are world-renowned crime writers (and wonderfully witty men besides.) As I read through their latest books in order to prepare for being the hostess with the mostess (naughty thoughts aside – […]
by Anne R. Allen Song lyrics inspire a lot of writers. Often a song that means a lot to you may be what inspired your book in the first place. Or you may need to quote those Garth Brooks lyrics to give an authentic tone to that bar scene in your memoir. The band played […]
by Anne R. Allen One of the worst crimes publishing scammers perpetrate on new authors is bullying them into buying junk “book marketing packages.” Often these cost astronomical fees — $10,000 and more. The useless book marketing the scammers push involve Tweets (which haven’t sold books for over a decade), presence at book fairs (where […]
by Ruth Harris Why is cooking — often? usually? sometimes? — more appealing than writing? *Even if you’re only a halfway decent cook, just about everyone will eat and enjoy what you made — and tell you so. * If you’re only a halfway decent writer, no one will enjoy what you wrote — or will […]
by Anne R. Allen Social Media Executor? That may not be a term you’re familiar with, but believe me, you need one. That hit home for me this week after the tragic death of my friend, the kind, talented, funny author Barbara Silkstone. I hadn’t heard from her for a month or two, so […]
by Joseph Perry When you sit down to write your book, there are some legal issues that you need to be cognizant of. These include defamation, invasion of privacy, and right of publicity (a form of privacy). There are other items to be aware of as well, but let’s focus on these three for now. […]
by Anne R. Allen Secondary characters are often glossed over in popular fiction. They’re in the story to further the plot, and can sometimes devolve into broad stereotypes or cardboard cut-outs while the protagonist (and maybe love interest) dominate the story. You can avoid the problem if you think of the secondary characters as […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris