By Sara Ella I’ve been thinking about acknowledgements lately. My debut novel is with my editor as I write this, so I’ve been working on that little section the goes at the back of the book. You know, the one that’s supposed to be short and sweet. The one in which I am expected to fit all my thank yous. …
First Drafts: Fast and Free
By Katherine Reay As I write this, The Bronte Plot launches in two weeks and my next manuscript is due in a few days… As you read it, both are behind me. And at both times, I’m buried in first drafts. My son is working on college application essays and one of my daughters is tackling her first two high …
Crafting the Villain
By Kariss Lynch We’re all born sinful, but I don’t believe any of us are born inherently evil. Hitler didn’t start out thinking he would become a mass murderer. Life experiences, his choices, and what he fed his mind and heart led to the blackness of his character. While Hitler is an extreme example, I believe the same could be …
Write a Book Review That Helps, Not Hinders-Part 2
By Dianna Booher Reading widely and writing book reviews either on your blog or at online bookstores serves your career and your colleagues well. But have you ever read a book review that was totally unhelpful? Certainly you’ve seen some of those posted on Amazon that have never been clicked as “helpful.” Why unhelpful? Think about these review comments: “I …
Help! Another author wrote my story!
By Anne Mateer Have you ever read a book with the sinking feeling that the story seems so very, very familiar? In fact, it seems almost an exact replica of the story you are writing or have written. A story this author knows nothing about, just as you knew nothing about theirs. The farther you read in the already-published book, …
Writing Productivity, Big and Small Chunk Style
By Allie Pleiter How much writing do you get done in a sitting? The answer feeds a lot more than your progress toward a deadline-it can tell you a lot about your writing life and writing needs. What do I mean by “big” or “small”? While my book goes into much greater detail, the basic concept is this: If you …
Ten Tips for a Satisfying Radio Interview
By Cynthia Ruchti The success of a radio interview is as easy to calculate as the number of baby guppies born in the night. Did listeners rush to their local bookstore to purchase or order the book? Were there more than two people listening? Please, God? Since God is the only one with answers to those questions about numbers and …
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
By Elizabeth Musser We’ve all heard the quip, when starting out on the writing journey, ‘don’t quit your day job.’ It is usually offered by a caring friend (or editor) who knows that making a living in the writing world can be daunting. But I’ve found that keeping my day job has not only put food on the table, but …
Lies Writers Believe (and the Truth that Sets them Free!)
By Danica Favorite You might recognize the title concept from Susan May Warren’s teaching. The things holding our characters back are often the same things that hold us back as writers and as people. I remember thinking about a few issues in my own life, and the lightbulb kicked on. I believe lies. So much of my personal writing success …
What’s One Piece of Advice You’d Give a Struggling Writer
By Patricia Bradley If you know me, you know I won’t stop at one. ? But first, I want to tell you a little story. (I know, no backstory for the first 50 pages, but I’m going to break the rules just this once.) The year I turned 35, I had a lot of trouble sleeping. One night as I …