Manuela Williams

Four Tips For Creating An On-Brand Book Cover

In previous articles, I’ve discussed some author branding basics, including key questions to ask when building your brand and different ways you can build your brand, even when you’re super busy.  Remember, your brand is more than just a snazzy logo or website. It represents who you are as a writer. It’s your values, your… Read more »

Jeanette the Writer

DIY MFA’s Virtual Open Mic!

I sat there shaking, my finger hovering over the button. This was it. Possibly the first of many, or perhaps a bad experiment that would fail after one round. Regardless… I pressed the button. That was my first video post as a writer. I had been writing blogs, but they felt rushed and didn’t seem… Read more »

Helen J. Darling

Finding it Hard to Write? Consider Keeping a Pandemic Journal

Raise your hand if you’re stressed about the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m stressed. Everyone I know is stressed. We want to stay connected to the most current information, but that leads us down depressing rabbit holes projecting inconceivable changes to the way we live our lives. Social media offers a solution to keep us connected to… Read more »

Lori Walker

#5onFri: Five Essay Collections to Check Out

Essays are having a hot moment right now, but they’ve been around for a long time. The word “essay” originates from the French word “essayer,” meaning “to try.” The form has certainly morphed with time, but in a sense boils down to the writer figuring out what they think and feel by writing about it…. Read more »

Melanie Marttila

Mythic Storytelling: Five Books on Tarot for Writers

Last time on Speculations, I offered a brief introduction to the tarot. This time, I’ve read and will briefly review five books on tarot for writers, so that you can decide which reference(s), if any, you might want to add to your writing craft library. I’ve decided to present them in chronological order by date… Read more »

Jeanette Smith

Should I Trust Editing Software?

Editing is often cited as the most difficult part of the writing process. Having taken our unique ideas and formed them into sentences, how do we now evaluate the result and determine what’s good from what needs changing? Some changes will be obvious—usually from the squiggly red line underneath it. That’s right. Today we’re talking… Read more »