By Shirley Gould In a valiant quest to describe human emotions in our prose, we as writers scan lists of nouns and adjectives in an attempt to make them real to our readers. It is a tedious and time consuming process. Gleaning from my personal journey, emotions experienced in our lives evoke the most vivid descriptions possible…if we journal them …
How to Get Better With Every Book
By Lindsay Harrel As someone who suffers from perfectionism, I want everything I do to be the picture of…well, perfection. That includes the books I write. But the reality is – and I’m sure all of you know this – writing books is just plain hard. It takes time to learn the best ways to develop a character, to take …
A New Adventure in Publishing: Strength in Numbers
By Roxanne Rustand Though I continue to enjoy writing traditionally published novels, I spent part of this past year working on some self-published novels for Kindle, Nook, and other e-formats. It has been both an adventure, and a challenge, for it means finding ways to market to readers who enjoy digitial format–and become visible in that ocean of other indie …
10 Promises Every Writer Should Make to Themselves
by Edie Melson The writing life isn’t an easy one. It’s one filled with joy, but also has its painful side. With any lifestyle that requires the courage to follow a dream, there are frequent roadblocks and obstacles. Many of these are imposed from others. Just announce that you’re following your heart and people seem to come out of the …
His Face or His Hand?
By Ian Acheson I think one of the things I pray the most about is seeking direction; or for confirmation that I’m doing the right thing. Do you do that? My work life tends to be lumpy. The life of a consultant is like that, however, in recent times there have been less lumps, meaning less projects and less income. …
Running and Writing…
By Katherine Reay My second novel, Lizzy & Jane, released three days ago – and while helping the sisters find their way into the world is a top priority for me, it’s not for you. Writing that next great read is and that’s what we’re here to discuss… And that, for me, is where running comes in. I’m taking it …
Patience and Me
By Anne Baxter Campbell I’m not a really patient person. I want the shortest line at the store, gas that pumps in excess of the speed limit, and meals I can prepare in fifteen minutes or less. Worst of all, perhaps, I want to go from “Once Upon a Time” to “The End” to “Released” in sixty seconds flat. If …
To Fight or Be Still
by Brenda S. Anderson The writing life is a battle. Raise your hand if you feel like you’ve been fighting hard at this writing business. You’re doing everything the right way, but still you’re getting nowhere, and you’re losing. You’re going to conferences, taking classes, getting critiques, yet no publisher or agent wants you. Or you’ve written a fabulous book, …
Invest in Your Writing Dreams
By Donna K. Rice My other career is as an estate planning attorney. In that capacity, I’ve spent many hours visiting with clients about what will happen when they pass away. To me, the personal matters, family values, and legacy development are most important, but money is what most people think about when considering estate planning. With that in mind, …
Stimulus Plan: Five Tips for Re-Igniting Your Writing Career
By Janice Hanna Thompson Many writers-even published ones-go through career stalls. Things fizzle out. Interest (among editor, agents or readers) wanes. Some authors face tough times, even after experiencing great success with a first or second novel. Still others feel the downward spiral after being on the best-seller’s list. I know, from personal experience, that these seasons can be discouraging. …