When I moved to New York, my first bedroom was, quite literally, the closet under the stairs. I had just come from a small town in Michigan, where we didn’t have a Starbucks, but we did have big bedrooms. The idea of fitting a writing space into my poor excuse for one seemed laughable. But… Read more »
Flash fiction, as we’ve discussed here before, is one of those things you can pick up during a short break. Even if you have no more than 20 minutes to write, it’s possible to whip up a story. The key to writing great flash fiction, however, is a plan. Much like writing a novel, you… Read more »
Every story needs a solid, vivid world that readers can lose themselves in for hours and remember long after they’ve reached The End. Whether that world is another planet, a land of mythical creatures, ancient Egypt, or a modern-day university doesn’t matter. If it feels real to the reader, then the writer has succeeded with… Read more »
“My new book is out! Buy for $2.99 on Amazon! [LINK]” “Have you read my new novel yet? Get it now! [LINK]” “ ‘MY BOOK TITLE’ #kindle #bestseller [LINK]” Do these spam author posts feel familiar? It’s become a common author stereotype on social media networks to constantly post asking people to please, for the… Read more »
America is a nation of immigrants, and theme of being an “outsider” is a common one in our literature. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about five great American novels that feature male protagonists. This week, I’ll be doing the same with books that feature female protagonists. This is just the tip of the iceberg,… Read more »
Stories often feature characters who share traits or functions but use them in opposite ways. Think about Frodo Baggins and Gollum, Harry Potter and Voldemort, or Marianne and Elinor Dashwood. The characters in each pair reflect one another’s similarities while contrasting their differences in approaching those similarities. These pairs are known as “mirror characters” –… Read more »
Do you know a tween or young teen who has moved on from Harry Potter but isn’t ready for Hunger Games? Loved Inkheart but found Twilight too heavy on the sappy romance? Have I got the list for you! From under-aged criminals to giant cockroaches, there are some attention-grabbing books available! Here are five fantasy/science fiction… Read more »
When looking for a writers group there isn’t always one to find, or if you find one, it isn’t always the right one for you. Here’s a happy-ending tale of a writer who transformed a dying group into a supportive family. Meet Richenda Gould, the leader of the Princeton Writers Group (PWG). “I knew that… Read more »
Marketing is every bit of contact your company has with the outside world. Every bit. – From Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Levinson Why does the term “marketing people” evoke such dread? In some circles it might even be considered an oxymoron. But I say that the trepidation around marketing and marketing volk comes from a… Read more »
I had never even heard of steampunk before I got a job at a Victorian Fair one summer. The woman leading the orientation asked us for examples of “Victorian-themed” movies that we could use for inspiration. Someone suggested a Sherlock Holmes movie and she said, “No, that’s more steampunk.” My mind snapped to attention and… Read more »
