It Takes a Community
Writing is a lonely job. I wish I was one of those writers who can sit in a busy coffee shop and scribble away with dozens of conversation snatches floating by, but I’m too easily […]
Those Early Readers
In Those Early Drafts, I looked at the sometimes complex task of getting a messy first draft edited and refined into a legible manuscript. I briefly touched on the importance of reader input in the […]
Those Early Drafts
When is a story fit to be read? It depends on who’s reading it. Your family may seem genetically programmed to love every word you write. A potential publisher, not so much. By the time […]
Follow-Up and Follow Through
Writing a blog about writing has led me to a lot of cool websites and other writing blogs. I’ve found more tools than I’ve ever had to help me get my stories written. As I’ve […]
How Young is a Young Adult?
The science fiction novels I read as a teen weren’t written for that age group. The themes were adult, as were the character dynamics and main issues. There just weren’t enough young adult books to […]
Life Cycle of a Novel
Some writers work from an outline, others just wing it. They start at page one and write one scene after another, with only a vague idea of where they’re headed. I know a guy who’s […]
An Interview with Author Astra Crompton
Writing a novel is a huge amount of work. A giant commitment and accomplishment that shouldn’t go to waste – especially if it’s good stuff. But the lineups at the doors of the traditional publishing […]
Buddy, can you spare some time?
Writing a book takes up a good chunk of your time, something that’s always in short supply. With the busy lives we lead it’s a wonder any books get written at all, but someone is […]
The Long and the Short Of It
So you’ve got this great idea bouncing around in your head. It’s been following you around for a while now. You’ve worked out a few details, maybe sketched a basic outline, and now it’s time […]
I’ve Got This Idea…
When I was a kid I was awed by the adult section of the library. So many books! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. Where would I start? I was a voracious […]
That Next Project
So you’ve finally finished writing your book. The manuscript has been edited more times than you care to remember and now you can just sit back and wait for the reviews and fan mail to […]
Edit Edit Edit Edit — Are We Done Yet?
So, your manuscript keeps getting rejected, again and again. You’ve researched the market and submitted it to only those houses that publish your genre. You’ve consulted their guidelines for word count. You may even have […]
Zoe Duff – Independent Publisher
What do you do when you’re writing in multiple genres and don’t quite fit into contemporary classifications? If you’re Zoe Duff, you start up an independent publishing house and learn the process of printing and […]
Rejection Slip Scrapbook
We all deal with rejection in our own way. To some, anything that feels like the slap on the hand they got from touching something forbidden as a child can discourage them from trying again, […]
To Query or Not to Query
There are two words in the English language that never fail to give me a painful case of writers block: Query Letter. Just the thought of it has me wiping sweaty palms on my jeans. […]
A Novel Dilemma
How do you get published when the rules and the markets are constantly shifting? Book stores are closing, mega-publishers are adopting their smaller cousins as in-house imprints, and the internet has made the leap from […]
Nothing New Under the Sun
How does an editor manage to still be moved by a story when she has to sift through ever-growing stacks of unsolicited manuscripts, looking for a nugget of something new? I mean, how many ways […]
It’s Getting Crowded In Here
Who decides what makes a good book? How does an editor know what readers will want? A writer’s friends and family might thrill at every new story but it still has to impress an agent, […]
What Was I Thinking?
I’ve never written a blog. I’ve never had the urge to write a blog. So imagine my surprise when I bumped into a fantastic opportunity that I couldn’t resist: writing a weekly blog for Amazing […]
Latest Posts
Recent Comments