Maybe you’re sold on the independent publishing model. Maybe you’ve even written a book and published it on Amazon, but nobody’s bought a copy except your mom. Where is the publishing glory you were promised? You can’t leave it all up to Amazon. If you want to make a success of independent publishing, be prepared… Read more »
Finding a useful author tool can make all the difference to a writer’s life. After all, the best tools help us to do things in a more efficient and effective way. They allow us to focus on our writing, rather than being slowed down and distracted by carrying out tasks in a suboptimal fashion. To… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Elisabeth Potts on the show! From her time as a student protesting the Vietnam war to her five year fight to save a pristine Central California coast habitat from an over-zealous developer, Elisabeth’s passion for social justice has inspired her actions and her writing…. Read more »
I recently picked up Save the Cat by Blake Snyder to learn it’s infamous plotting method. I’d heard the book talked about one too many times. It was time for me to read it, finally. Imagine my surprise when the first three chapters were not about plotting your work, but about pitching your story. Save… Read more »
Dear Editor, I’ve been working on my current manuscript for a while now. It’s special to me, and I want it to be the best it can, so I’ve had it read by an editor and gotten feedback from other writers and even an agent. I’ve murdered it so much at this point. Like I… Read more »
A few years ago, in the middle of a fierce winter and an even fiercer case of writer’s block, my mom gave me an incredible suggestion to help me past what had been stoppering my writing for several months. “What does your character think?” she said. It never occurred to me to ask, but once… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Anne Sibley O’Brien on the show! Anne is a children’s book writer and illustrator who has created thirty-seven books, some of which she has written, some she’s illustrated, and some for which she has done both. Her focus is on diverse children and cultures… Read more »
You’ve done it. Developed a writing voice distinctly your own. Readers can clearly hear YOU in your articles, essays, and poems. Congrats! But what about your fiction? If you’re like me, the trick of bringing that voice to fiction, and writing believable characters—with their own voices—is not so clear. In my first article on voice,… Read more »
Here we go again! Week #5 of James Scott Bell’s 14 signpost scenes, and I promise that you’re in for a big one. Why? Because signpost #5, otherwise known as The Doorway of No Return #1 (The Point of No Return, abbreviated PONR), is one of the three massive, explosive, impossible-to-write-a-story-without plot points. If you’re… Read more »
People love a good story, because telling stories is how we share our experiences with others. A well-formed story explains the complex simply so that it will stick with the reader or listener. For a creative, telling the narrative of how and why your creations come about, will not only focus yourself but also inspire… Read more »
