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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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? […]
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!
BAD, BAD MOTHER by Melody Winter November – I should have known it would happen. It’s the month when writers really lose it! Like shadows hiding in the corner, the seeds of doubt gather. They only have to wait until the right moment, and then they’ll pounce! As a writer, I persevere, ignoring these seeds […]
When Writers Go Wrong – Part One by Veronica Park Twas the night before deadline, And all through the hovel Gusted loud, ragged breathing, And the clang of a shovel. It started quite suddenly, If truth can be told. With a simple suggestion– No, nothing as bold As a nag or a mockery Or a […]
Today’s snippet comes in the form of advice from the fabulous K.A. Tucker, author of TEN TINY BREATHS, among other great books. Here is a link to the full/original article, which is a guest post on Literary Agent Marisa A. Corvisiero’s blog.
First of all, if you’re unaware of what I’m talking about, MSWL is publishing code for MS (or manuscript) Wish List. Created by literary agent Jessica Sinsheimer, this social media / multimedia phenomenon essentially turns publishing upside down, in a good way. Here’s how I would describe it: Instead of a bunch of writers sitting […]
This killed me. I’m not trying to encourage disparaging aspiring writers or anything…but if you’re having a bad day? Sometimes it does help to realize someone else’s is much, much worse. Brought to you by the anonymously hilarious agent behind SlushPile Hell.
Today’s snippet is about those damn shiny, happy people. Via Writer’s Digest: Here’s the link to the entire/original post.
Recently, I found myself in the extremely uncomfortable and very regrettable situation of signing up for a “freeview” (i.e. a free book, in exchange for an “honest” review) on Goodreads. Aaaaaand hating said book. And then realizing that I still had to write a full review. Because I promised I would. And wondering “WTH do […]
I just bought a book from one of my favorite authors. I paid more than $5 for it, which is more than I can say for 9/10 of the books I’ve read in the past year. And yet, unlike the other 20+ eBooks that currently sit neglected on my eShelf (which is mostly due to […]
In baseball, everything begins with a pitch. Based on the outcome of that pitch, you can usually begin to see the direction the game will take. Will the batter score a home run? Will he strike out? Will the first baseman catch the ball on a pop fly? After the pitch, anything can happen. From what I’ve […]
So I entered this short story contest a while back, which I promptly forgot about until a couple of weeks ago. But anyway, it turns out I made the top 10! Booyah! Here was my entry: You, I Could’ve Loved By Veronica Park It’s incredible how much perspective a person can gain with time. The […]
So your story has ISSUES. That’s why you’re revising it, right? Here’s some expert advice on how to fix those issues of yours. Issue #2: STORY STRUCTURE What is it? In its most basic form, story structure has been described by many as “the bones” of your story. The skeleton, or the scaffolding, if you […]
A couple of days ago, I had an incident with a rat that gave me the most horrible nightmares.* Every time I woke up, I felt like my heart was being clenched by some giant, invisible fist. And no matter how many times I told myself “it’s just a rat,” I couldn’t seem to stop […]
So your story has issues. That’s why you’re revising it, right? Here’s some advice from the experts on HOW you can fix those issues. Issue #1: PACING What is it? Speed. Momentum. Getalong. The pace by which your story goes forward. What’s wrong with it? “A key ingredient of proper pacing is balance,” author MaryAnn […]
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