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April 23, 2023 By Anne R. Allen 52 Comments

Think You Want to Write a Book? Follow These 10 Dos and Don’ts

Think You Want to Write a Book? Follow These 10 Dos and Don’ts

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 […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life Tagged With: Anne R. Allen, creativity, Michael Ventura, No Place Like Home, Writing Talent

October 21, 2018 By Anne R. Allen 36 Comments

Creativity Wounds: Can NaNoWriMo Help Overcome Them?

Creativity Wounds: Can NaNoWriMo Help Overcome Them?

Creativity wounds: the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism.  by Anne R. Allen.  A couple of weeks ago, Grant Faulkner, executive director of NaNoWriMo, wrote a short piece for Jane Friedman’s blog about what he calls “creativity wounds.” The post resonated with me. Oh, yeah, I know about creativity wounds! I have to admit that […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life, Writers Dealing with Reviews and Rejection Tagged With: creativity wounds, critique groups and criticism, Ghostwriters in the Sky, Grant Faulkner, Michael Ventura, NaNoWriMo, rejection

January 7, 2018 By Anne R. Allen 93 Comments

8 Qualities That Are More Important than Talent for Writing Success

8 Qualities That Are More Important than Talent for Writing Success

Even if you have the writing talent of Lord Byron, you need these things.  by Anne R. Allen I understand why new writers want to be reassured they have writing talent. They don’t want to embark on the long road to a writing career if they don’t have the chops. So I have sympathy with […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life Tagged With: critique groups and criticism, Michael Ventura, Talent, The Myth of Talent, The Queen of Staves, writing rules

June 21, 2015 By Anne R. Allen 75 Comments

6 Bad Reasons to Write a Novel…and 6 Good Ones

6 Bad Reasons to Write a Novel…and 6 Good Ones

by Anne R. Allen   So you think you want to write a novel? You’re not alone. According to a New York Times study done a decade ago, 81% of Americans “think they have a book in them”. With the indie ebook revolution, I’m sure the percentage has grown. Of course, most of that 81% won’t ever write […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Achieving your writing goals, Bob Mayer, creativity, Damon Lindelhof, first novels, Michael Ventura, The Talent of the Room, Writing novels, Writing tips

November 9, 2014 By Anne R. Allen 71 Comments

Is Talent Overrated? 8 Things that are More Important than Talent for Writing Success

by Anne R. Allen   I often run into new writers who want to be reassured they have talent. They sometimes ask me to read some fledgling work in hopes I’ll pronounce them “talented.”I always decline. (A wise author never goes there.) It’s not simply that I can’t fit one more thing into my already […]

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Filed Under: Social Media and Marketing For Writers, The Publishing Business, The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Achieving your writing goals, Craig Tanner, how not to publish, Michael Ventura, Roxanna Britton, Shirley S. Allen, Talent, The Myth of Talent, The Talent of the Room

July 14, 2013 By Anne R. Allen 38 Comments

Are Your Dreams Standing in the Way of Writing Success? 5 Dreams That Can Interfere With Your Goals

Are Your Dreams Standing in the Way of Writing Success? 5 Dreams That Can Interfere With Your Goals

by Anne R. Allen   What’s the difference between a dream and a goal? Short answer: reality. A dream is a creature of the imagination, full of sparkles and rainbows and magic. It’s our castle in the air where we live our fantasy lives. We all need them. But we also need to recognize them […]

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Filed Under: The Publishing Business, The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Achieving your writing goals, Ann Lamott, Anne R. Allen, Dreams vs. goals, how to be a successful author, Michael Ventura, Richard Castle, Richard North Patterson, sucky first drafts, Thrillerfest

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writers digest 101 best websites for writers award

Anne R. AllenAnne R. Allen writes funny mysteries and how-to-books for writers. She also writes poetry and short stories on occasion. She’s a contributor to Writer’s Digest and the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.

Her bestselling Camilla Randall Mystery Series features perennially down-on-her-luck former socialite Camilla Randall—who is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.

Ruth Harris NYT best selling authorRuth is a million-copy New York Times bestselling author, Romantic Times award winner, former Big 5 editor, publisher, and news junkie.

Her emotional, entertaining women’s fiction and critically praised novels have sold millions of copies in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions, been translated into 19 languages, sold in 30 countries, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club.

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