Every writer learns to take that leap of faith and believe in her own creative expression, a way to tell a story that is true and compelling. A Portrait of Love and Honor is that sort of book…a marriage of fact and fiction; a memoir within the framework of a novel. I wanted to write a love story – two people who find in each other their dreams come true. Just as happens in real … [Read more...]
Writers’ Conferences Put Authors on the Road to Success
There are several good reasons why writers should invest the time and effort required to attend writers’ conferences. Attending a writers’ conference only takes a few hours, or a couple days at the most, a small investment, and a little effort to register and arrange travel and lodging, but the payoff can be big. Attending a writers’ conference gives you a great chance to … [Read more...]
The Pros and Cons of Writing Groups
Being part of an on-line writing group for several years has provided many benefits. But with the positives come a few negatives. The Positives: Over a period of time, one learns to recognize each reader’s style of critiquing and approach to writing fiction/non-fiction. I’ve discovered that, usually, all of our critiques collectively add up to one excellent response. Each … [Read more...]
City Lights: Why it is Important to Turn Them Off
Here's the hard truth, for Americans at least: Most of us live in the city. If we don't live in the city, we live near the city, and we spend our weekends driving into the city for this or that, to the mall, the show, the restaurant or grocery store. The radio is on, the television is on, the computer and phone are on. People jaw and chew, spitting words in a hundred languages … [Read more...]
Writers’ Conferences Put Authors on the Road to Success
There are several good reasons why writers should invest the time and effort required to attend writers’ conferences. Attending a writers’ conference only takes a few hours or days at the most, a few bucks, and a little effort to register and arrange travel and lodging, but the payoff can be big. If the book you are working on is almost finished, attending a writers’ … [Read more...]
Medium – An Online Writing Tool for Authors
Walter Isaacson uses it. NY Times journalist David Carr uses it. Author Emily Gould, Journalist Ben Smith, and Entrepreneur Elon Musk use it too. What is it? It’s a new site for authors called MEDIUM. It was founded by Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone in August 2012. On this exclusive site the authors post to a communal blog, then the site groups the posts … [Read more...]
21 Top Fan Fiction Sites for Authors
Overview: Fan Fiction is a great way for aspiring authors to hone their craft. Amanda Hocking started out writing fan fiction and she was signed to a multimillion dollar book deal. Fifty Shades of Grey author E. L. James started writing fan fiction after she finished reading the Twilight saga, and hasn't stopped since. Here's a list of 21 Fan Fiction sites for authors to … [Read more...]
Words are, like, important?
Anyone who appreciates the beauty and utility of language will enjoy this poem by Taylor Mali. There are people who will tell you that the meaning is what matters, not the way it is expressed. But when words are used carelessly and incorrectly, how do we know what the speaker or writer is trying to say? Words have meaning. The words you use, and the manner in which you … [Read more...]
Prepping for NaNoWriMo
NaNoWritMo is coming! Here is a fictional look at one writer's approach to this annual November event. I got a kick out of it, and I hope you do, too. Mike, the writer, shares a bit of his fractured take on life at bikeswine.com. More and more you hear the stories of preppers – men and women who are preparing for the end of existence as we know it. Some have built luxury … [Read more...]
How To Write a Book Without Writing
Here's what happens when most people sit down to write a book: First, they procrastinate because they don't know where to start. Next, they finally get going and they even manage to write a chapter or two, but then they get stuck. Finally, they shelve the book to “finish later” and it never gets done. Frustrating, right? But if you have a system, writing a book can be … [Read more...]