Writing about writing. Mostly.
by Sue Coletta When the buzz of TikTok started spreading, I wanted no part of it. With two Facebook accounts, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Goodreads, etc. the last thing I needed was another social media site. I could barely juggle the audience I’d amassed on social media over the last twelve years. Then I […]
Tropes of “the Other Woman” are as old as Lilith by Anne R. Allen In a workshop recently, I was gobsmacked when one writer criticized another for using a story element that’s much loved in women’s fiction. It’s the one where the heroine discovers she’s the “other woman” in her man’s life, when she thought […]
by James Scott Bell When I started to teach writing in the late 90s, I channeled my inner Charlton Heston and announced 10 Commandments for Writers. A cheeky thing to do, I admit. But when I reviewed them recently, I found I wouldn’t change one of them. So here they are, with attached comment. 1) […]
by Anne R. Allen Writers know the opening chapter of a book is the most important. That’s when we grab a reader who’s browsing in a bookstore or clicking on the “look inside” function for online retailers — and persuade him to reach for that wallet and buy the book. A new writer can […]
Stalled first draft? Make plans for a new setting. by Ruth Harris Home is where the heart is. Or is it? Home sweet home. Or is it? You can’t go home again. Or can you? You can go from: Shirley Jackson’s spooky Hill House to the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas — The Rosemary’s Baby […]
by Anne R. Allen In her 1990 book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron warns creatives about crazymakers, the people who have no respect for your work and dominate your time with endless drama. But crazymakers aren’t the only people who can hurt your chances of having a successful creative career. There are a lot of […]
by Becca Puglisi “Conflict in Every Scene” We’ve all heard this advice, and for good reason. Your protagonist has a goal—hopefully, an audacious and high-stakes goal that is difficult to achieve. “Difficult” is important. It’s one of the qualities of a highly engaging story because the harder the goal is to reach, the less certainty […]
Write a short story–with advice from the creator of Narnia by Jim Denney When we think of short stories, we think of names like Poe, Chekhov, and Hemingway. But can you name your favorite C. S. Lewis short story? Probably not. Lewis is famed and beloved for The Chronicles of Narnia, but few readers are […]
by Ruth Harris What? There’s an upside to Impostor Syndrome? Yes. A sane, healthy mid-point exists between being stalled out by Impostor Syndrome and obnoxious, raging egomania so rancid even your dog hates you. Authentic modesty keeps you real — and productive. A certain degree of Impostor Syndrome can be the necessary spur that motivates […]
Bogus agents are impersonating real agents by Anne R. Allen Bogus agents are ba-a-ack. Once upon a time, in the long-ago era when I was querying, fee-charging agencies and in-house editorial services were the problem. Their scams usually involved charging a “reading fee” (a no-no for legit agents) or referring writers to editorial services and […]
Can an author copyright a character like Harry Potter? by Joseph Perry, Intellectual Property Attorney Copyright law is complicated. Can You Copyright a Title? No. Under the US Copyright Act, you cannot copyright a title. That is because titles are too short to be protected. Copyright law protects original works fixed in a tangible medium […]
by Anne R. Allen So you have an author blog on your website, but you haven’t posted there for over a year, when your last book came out. Or maybe you started a blog a while ago, but nobody visited, so it’s just floating out there in cyberspace, collecting spam. It can seem pointless to […]
by Ruth Harris Decisions, decisions. Steak or salmon? Red or white? Wash the car or mow the lawn? Weights or barre class? Do the laundry or empty the dishwasher? Mustard or mayo? Petunias or pansies? Cheddar or Swiss? So what? What’s the big deal? Why are you wasting my time with stupid questions? I’ve got […]
Anne R Allen’s Blog With Ruth Harris