How it HELPS 1. You probably don’t subscribe to the ‘no words without inspiration’ school of thought. Or, better yet, you’ve trained yourself to become inspired on command. This is great, because so many others out there will spend countless hours sitting in front of their antique typewriters, sipping scotch and staring out of windows […]
Today’s TC post comes a day late. But in my defense, I didn’t realize yesterday was Thursday…so. Anyway, I recently stumbled across this photographer’s website, while I was searching for cool photos to create a “future cover” mockup for one of my books. (Oh, don’t act like you’ve never done it, fellow writers!) Her name […]
I had a friend in high school who used to live by the phrase, “Nothing good ever happens in August.” I really do mean that, literally. For one month during the summer, every single year, if you called her up and asked her to hang out…go to the movies…go camping, whatever, she would simply respond […]
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 […]
There’s really no one absolute, ultimate formula for writing a query. But there are certain…guidelines, if you will, that if followed will NEVER steer you wrong. 1. ALWAYS Start With The 3-4 Paragraph Query letter format: (Then tweak it, slightly. As needed. But only if you MUST.) Paragraph #1 – This is 1-3 sentences of absolute […]
Today’s snippet concerns planning your career as an author, from literary agent Rachelle Gardner: Here’s the LINK to the original post.
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 […]
Today’s snippet comes from the fabulous Brenda Drake, who talks about revisions after getting her first editorial letter. Here’s a link to the original article.
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 […]
Are you truly socially awkward? Or are you simply pretending to be awkward, since Zooey Deschanel and Emma Stone made it cool? Find out for sure by taking this test! THE (ACTUALLY) SOCIALLY AWKWARD TEST by Veronica Park A. Give yourself ONE awkward point (each) if… 1. When you wore a dress to school, you had to […]
Today’s snippet concerns beta readers. Specifically, how to / how not to offer feedback, from the glorious Dahlia Adler: And here’s the link to the original post.
Is it just me, or does the ‘know’ in “Getting to Know You” seem to carry a slightly biblical connotation in this context? …It’s probably just me. Anyway *coughs awkwardly* WELCOME friends, to my version of the official LIKE A VIRGIN blog hop! Hopefully, it will only be the first of many more to come, […]
This week’s TC post is about Firsts. I honestly never thought I’d spill this particular embarrassment, but in honor of the launch of the Like a Virgin Contest (#LV13) on Friday (for which I am a judge, huzzah!) I’ve decided to go “all the way”…and blog about the first time I ever had my heart broken. So. Here goes. (Ahem.) I […]
Today’s snippet partially explains why J.K. Rowling is richer than F. Scott Fitzgerald. “I don’t care how pretty the car looks. If the engine doesn’t work — or is completely missing – your readers aren’t going for a ride. At all.” – Courtesy of Guy Bergstrom of The Red Pen of Doom, “The Secret Truth […]
Cora’s 2nd verse = BETTER than the first. IMO, series progression is outstanding. If trend continues, can’t WAIT for the 3rd.
Today’s TC post is written in the cherished style of “rant,” and inspired by the obnoxious–and yes, occasionally hilarious–spam I find in my comments inbox. (By the way, thank you, Askimet, for keeping these off my homepage. I really don’t say that enough.) Here are a few of my favorites: (along with my response) “Some viewers […]
I recently did an interview with Robyn Chausse of WOW’s The Muffin. (If you don’t read it yet, and you’re a writer, you absolutely should start doing that. As soon as possible.) Here’s an excerpt: “Every choice you make matters. People will tell you that only the big ones matter, but it’s the small ones […]
In an effort to be less wordy and blog more often, I’m going to try something new. I like to think of it as a snapshot with a journalistic twist. (Basically, pertinent or entertaining information that catches my attention. But I only share a small part of it, like a photographer focusing one tiny detail in a vast landscape.) It’s called the […]
Henry Cavill: AMAZING. Russell Crowe, amazing. Plot and dialogue, pretty great. But what was with the ‘laser hostage’ scene, Snyder?
We’ve all heard the saying, right? If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck… It’s a DUCK. Or, how about this one: The way you do ANYTHING is the way you do EVERYTHING. I was thinking of this saying the other day, for various reasons, and I realized that I haven’t always […]
This is a Faceboook post I made the other day, because I’m honestly just bored with real life. (And I wonder why my FB friends think I’m a weirdo.) So… here you go. Enjoy! Here lies Dodgy Grenadian Skillet, the bane of my island existence. I inherited you from a long line of haggard SGU students who […]
Note: this entry was originally posted on 2/17/2010. I’ve resurrected it here for convenience and because it is hella pertinent to my current situation. And probably, several of yours. Like every unpublished young writer, I yearn for the day when my name is not familiar to a mere handful of people, but uttered with reverence […]
You know how I’m always blogging about the perilous allure of original ideas? Those little bastard darlings that seem so promising…so perfect at first glance, but which inevitably end up stalling and dying in mid-thought at some point down the road? We abandon them not because we want to, but because, for whatever reason–at that […]
I do love me some Eric. (Charlaine Harris had it right, IMO.) Please. Forget about Bill Whinerton, Sookie. Sincerely, ‘Murica
Today, I have just one piece of writing advice: If you ever want to finish another book, DO NOT download this game. That is all. (At least until I beat this damn level….) WordPress.com Powered by Linky Tools Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list… Blogger WordPress.com
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