I’ve been hoping to write a column on National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) since I started contributing to DIY MFA. Now, the timing is perfect, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s October, so there’s enough time for preparation and participation, if you wish to take on a new project for November. But there are… Read more »
Here’s a peek into my day: I start just after five in the morning. I get up, wash my face, and grab my laptop. I spend the next hour as a writer, drafting and editing, fine-tuning and submitting. I have a few minutes to get myself ready for the day, and then I wake up… Read more »
Literacy, in its most basic definition, is the ability to read and write. It can also be defined as fluency with a subject like math, or competence with skills such as computer literacy. Being able to read and write are skills many of us take for granted. We learn as kids and use them every… Read more »
This year, I’ve been to more conferences than I’ve ever been to in my whole life; three have been writing conferences for me and one a work conference for my husband. And during each of these, between learning and mingling, I found myself feeling inspired and a bit more creative. So, after the latest writing… Read more »
When I was first trying to develop a more cohesive author brand and platform for myself as a writer and creative writing coach, I struggled to visualize exactly what I liked and wanted. I mindlessly clicked through sites that I admired and tried to imitate what I saw. But I found that I wasn’t creating… Read more »
On the back of every book you’ve bought in a bookstore, you’ll find a string of numbers, usually punctuated with dashes. It looks something like this: 978-0-9997003-0-3. This mysterious code is an International Standard Book Number, or ISBN. If you’re a self-publishing author, you should consider having them for your books. What Is An ISBN?… Read more »
Rejection. Nobody likes it—most writers experience it. The rejection tallies of famous books are something of a Holy Grail for writers: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was rejected 14 times Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind was rejected 38 times George Orwell’s Animal Farm was rejected because “It is impossible to sell… Read more »
One piece of platforming advice I feel strongly about is that every author should have a newsletter. And yes, this is still true even if you are not yet published! I cannot say this enough. Any author who wants a readership—even if that’s a future readership–should have an author newsletter. I often hear authors worry… Read more »
As I home in on the pub date for my second novel (THE NINE, She Writes Press, August 20), there is excitement whirring in my mind as well as the anxiety that comes with keeping track of a to-do list. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to some underlying trepidation, as well. Having launched… Read more »
If you’ve spent any time in the kidlit writing community you’ve probably seen the acronym ‘SCBWI’ pop up. It stands for Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a professional organization dedicated to supporting everyone who creates books for kids. You may be wondering what qualifies a person for membership and what the drawbacks and… Read more »
