Following a post from my favorite literary fledgling last week, I found myself inspired to write about a rarely lauded struggle which I believe all literary folk in general–including the “successful” ones–ultimately face: I call it The Eternal Shame of Relatively Obscure ROI. (ROR) < Pronounce this like a dinosaur, for optimal fun. (ESoROR works […]
“In the Now” by Vanessa Robins ’Tis the season for family gatherings and questions. “What have you been writing?” “Have you gotten anything published?” “Still no boyfriend?” (Don’t even get me started on the answer for this one.) And the question to end all questions: “What are you going to do next?” A writer’s world […]
“How Not to Start Writing” by Elizabeth Lynx That title explains perfectly how I became a writer. I will admit things in this post I don’t tell a lot of people. In fact, most writers are probably shaking their heads at me thinking it’s best if no one ever knows any of this. Once you […]
My Secret Life as an Author by Joshua Edward Smith My self-published first novel had been out for a little more than a month, when my wife and I were walking to our favorite restaurant to meet friends for dinner. “Do you think…” I hesitated. “I mean maybe…” Oh, fuck it, I thought. “Would […]
For once, this post is not about writing. It is not metaphorical, philosophical, or prescriptive. No, this post is just a story. A story about true love. The kind that lasts forever. It starts with a glance, ignites with a cautious touch. A furtive experimentation, followed by a gasp of excitement. “It fits!” Then, “Oh […]
New ideas are the sexy sirens of the writing world. At first blush, they’re so fresh and new and uncomplicated. They catch your glance while you’re hard at work, drawing your focus away from what you should be working on. And hey, who wouldn’t want to fantasize about going with the flow, just dropping it […]
We’ve all heard the stories. Legends, more like. About how J.K. Rowling wrote the entire first draft of Harry Potter on a napkin at her local Starbucks (or whatever place that sells what passes for coffee in the UK.) Or how E.L. James was just writing Twilight fan fiction one day…until bow-chick-a-bow-ow…international lust storm, followed […]
I know I’ve talked about this before, but this past year it’s kind of become a major theme in my life, so I’m going to write about it again. Here it is, children. What I’ve learned in 2015: You have to do what you have to do, when you have to do it–and not when […]
Oh, what a tangled web we weave…. Lying. The heart of any great writer’s skill. Or “persuasion,” if you want to paint a slightly sexier face on it. (But let’s be honest, that flawless contouring trick you learned on YouTube isn’t fooling anyone, Karen.) We learn when we’re young that lying is wrong, even as the ones […]
In good prose, there’s a rhythm. A cadence, if you will. Even a percussion. PACE YOURSELF. PACING SETS THE TONE, THEN CARRIES IT. Like the rat-a-tat-tat of a machine gun, action should happen fast and in short bursts. Exposition should be sparse and epic, like the report of a cannon, with quieter moments in between […]
***PSA: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Attention, writers of the world: Please, for the love of all that is both holy and unholy. STOP. OUTSOURCING. YOUR ACTION. When you use supporting characters (or worse, extras) to advance too much of your plot, you water down the motives and dampen the effect. Like hiring a […]
As my editorial client list grows, no matter the genre of the work in question, I find myself repeating certain constructive criticisms. This leads me to believe that a lot of writers out there–myself included–tend to make the same mistakes, over and over. Particularly when it comes to the arena of characterization. For me, this […]
Welcome to the Dracian Legacy Blog Tour! On this stop, I ask debut REUTS author Priya Kanaparti all kinds of inappropriate questions, gush about Jensen Ackles…and we also talk about her book. Enjoy! Note: To follow all the stops on this tour, please click here. V: Tell me a little about yourself, (preferably something that […]
Dear Writer Friends, You may have noticed of late that my blog is slightly balding. This is not due to apathy, but is an unfortunate side-effect of my multi-career hubris and its accompanying workload. Also, I’m kind of missing the awesomeness and joy that was brought on by my last series, “When Writers Go Wrong.” Therefore, I […]
For the final installment of my 2013-24 Pitch Wars “Meet the Bombshells” Series, I’d like to welcome to the blog Katie Bono, author of the New Adult contemporary (medical) novel, RUNNING WITH NEEDLES. V: First off, I’d just like to say how much I ADORE the title of this book. People in the industry love […]
For my next installment of the Meet the Bombshells Series (where I show off my fantabulous mentees for this year’s Pitch Wars), I’d like to introduce Melissa Flandreau, author of the NA title, WHAT CARRIES THE DAY. V: Thanks for joining me Melissa! Why don’t you tell the fine folks of the interwebs a little […]
Thank you for joining me today for a hybrid Interview / Reveal Extravaganza for YA Paranormal author Cally Ryanne’s big debut, ECHOES OF BALANCE (which is, in case you were wondering, available now!) Today we’re going to be talking about Cally’s journey, and then finding out a little bit more about Mikhail. ECHOES OF BALANCE by […]
The Subway Ride By Michael Signorile “That’s a really good idea” will be the phrase etched on my tombstone when I die. Actually, no, scratch that. That’s an awful idea. I’d much rather be ashes, floating in the wind, ruining some newlyweds’ picnic in Central Park. That’s a really good idea. “I should write that […]
When Writers Go Wrong (for the Holidays) By Tiffany Rose On the first day of Christmas, My Nano project gave to me An epic on the high sea. On the second day of Christmas, My Nano project gave to me Two characters in love, On the third day of Christmas, My Nano project gave to […]
Night Writing by Emily Ruth Verona It’s not for everyone. It’s not even for me really. I’ve always been a morning person, writing only my darker stories and novels in the latest hours. Night writing used to be a phase I went through every few months. I’d spend a couple nights doing it and […]
Sadism by Kara Wolf (w/a K. Kazul Wolf) The flimsy cup of coffee steams in my hands, and I breathe in the heavy scent of peppermint mocha. Snow falls so thick that I can only see a few feet out of the window next to me. If it weren’t for the soft chatter of the […]
WRITE, WRITE BABY (To the tune of “Ice, Ice Baby”) by Summer Wier Yo, WIP, Let’s kick it! All right stop, turn off your Kindles and listen Time to focus on November’s ambition NaNoMo, yea we don’t it take lightly To hit 50k, we write daily and nightly Will it have a plot? […]
Dear Writers, I realize that being a writer is hard. Coming up with concepts, characters, dialogue–all of those things which take an idea and flesh them out into a living, breathing story–can be extremely challenging, even torturous, no matter how talented you are. Then, when you take those challenges and add the strain of watching […]
The 5 Stages of Writing on a Deadline By Drew Hayes Writing, much like grief, moves in phases. The ideal process for artistic creation is the slow, gentle growth of an idea, watching it bloom from mere idle thoughts and become a cohesive, beautiful flower of a story. Then, of course, there’s writing on […]
Today’s inspiring video is exactly what I wish I could have for a future book trailer. If this were a book, I’d read it. A movie? I’d watch it. As it is, I seriously CANNOT get enough of this song. Enjoy!
VP Anderson 
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