Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
In the discomfort zone? How to get through the day. by Ruth Harris “It’s a cut-throat industry,” said English author Sean Thomas (his real name) quoted recently in the Wall Street Journal. The international bestselling author of The Ice Twins, S.K. Tremayne aka Tom Knox, (both pen names of Mr. Thomas), was not talking about violent drug cartels […]
Writing contemporary fiction? Don’t rewrite War and Peace. by Anne R. Allen I recently read on an agent’s blog, “Nobody’s looking for War and Peace.” And alas, I fear it’s true. I can’t remember the last time I said, “I want to get into a big 19th century novel.” (And there was a time when […]
Writing Success happens, but you need to leave Middle Earth, Hobbitses by Ruth Harris Whether we write Space Opera or Women’s Fiction, Romance or Thrillers, our job is fantasy. We make up characters, imagine lives we never led (Spy? Shifter? Wizard? Supermodel? Yarn shop owner? Billionaire? Serial killer?), go to places we’ve never travelled to […]
Writing guidelines can help us climb that “book mountain” by Ruth Harris A breath-taking article about a Polish team of mountaineers planning to climb K2 in the winter—a risky-to-the-max feat that has never been accomplished—reminded me that every book is K2, a mountain that has never been climbed. Like expert climbers, writers make progress step […]
Rejection and failure make you think of quitting? Be like Thomas Edison instead. by Ruth Harris Rejection can make us want to cry and/or break things but rejection is almost never personal and often has nothing to do with your book, either. The sting of rejection can be bullied into submission with a can-do, eff-you […]
Burnout can hit the most motivated writers and Type A high-achievers by Ruth Harris We’re writers and we don’t need no lousy bosses to crack the whip. We can do it to ourselves–create the frazzle, the frustration, the deadlines, the endless to-do lists, negative feedback, and the conviction that we’re not doing enough fast enough. […]
Stress or burnout? Writers can suffer from both. by Ruth Harris Look at your to-do list. WiP needs edits and revisions Editor/cover designer to hire Promo forms to fill out First draft to finish Get that new book/new series ready to launch The next-to-final draft need polishing Backlist covers need a refresh A box set […]
How to get out of your own way and build resilience. By Ruth Harris Writers, they’re out there and they’re waiting for you. Inhibitions Hang ups Glitches Gotchas Snares and snags Roadblocks No go zones Flops and fizzles The reasons (excuses?) for not writing/not beginning (or finishing) your book/not allowing enough time and energy for […]
Writing rules, rejection & why to forget them and have some holiday fun! Ruth Harris joined this blog five and a half years ago with a wildly popular blogpost on rejection. Because she worked as editor at a couple of Big Five Houses as well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she knows […]
Slang, jargon, insider lingo and the perfect word make dialogue authentic and put your dancers en pointe. by Ruth Harris 1. A few words about words: Big words and little words. Everyday words and words for special occasions. Polite words and the other kind. The right words, well considered and well chosen, can take a […]
First drafts can be like mazes. The way through is never a straight line. by Ruth Harris A first draft is a maze you create that you have to find your way out of. Like a maze, the first draft doesn’t proceed in a straight line from start to finish, from beginning to end. In […]
Create memorable characters using carefully chosen details by Ruth Harris The 20th Century architect, Mies van der Rohe, designer of iconic contemporary buildings like Crown Hall in Chicago and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, and classic chairs like the Barcelona and Brno, said: “God is in the details.” His […]
Is your book the right size? by Ruth Harris Despite what you may have heard to the contrary, size does matter. At least, when it comes to books. 😉 Too long or too short? Wordy and flabby? Curt and brusque? Novel or novella? Short story or novelette? From urban fantasy to space opera, thriller to […]
