Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Cynthia Leitich Smith. Cynthia is a New York Times bestselling author known for her award-winning children’s and YA books. She writes both realistic contemporary stories and fantastical narratives, and most recently, she won the American Indian Youth Literature YA Award for Hearts Unbroken published by Candlewick. Today we’ll… Read more »
Recently in this column, I discussed real authors featured as fictional sleuths. But I discovered that real authors are sometimes real sleuths as well. Some seek to fight injustice and others become swept up in a mystery or crime. Some find the answers, some don’t, and some are the mystery rather than the sleuth. But… Read more »
Do you have trouble finding comparable titles for your book? Are you confused about how to use comparable titles in general? Or understand what they are? Comparable titles (also known as comps) can be extremely helpful when writing and pitching your book to a literary agent or editor. They are also a huge way to… Read more »
Writers often struggle with fiscal matters. After all, few things are less creative or elegant than a calculator or a checking account. Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that a successful freelance career is dependent on sound finances. Here are five simple ways that you can care for your freelance finances without getting too… Read more »
Today’s #OwnVoices installment is an interview with Kellye Garrett, author of the award-winning “Detective by Day” mystery series. Kellye and Sara talk about the influence of her TV writing days on her books, the difficulties of writing humor, and Crime Writers of Color, a writers’ group she co-founded with Gigi Pandian and Walter Mosley. About… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Ellie Cypher. Ellie Cypher grew up in Northern California, received her B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior from UC Santa Cruz and got her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California Davis. She has lived and worked all over the world from New Zealand to Tasmania to… Read more »
You can’t mention Julia Child without thinking about Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you’ve seen the film Julie & Julia based on Julie Powell’s memoir, you’ve already seen much of Julia’s story from her autobiography with Alex Prud’homme My Life in France. The surprising part for some admirers may have been that Julia… Read more »
Newsletters seem to have a way of intimidating many authors. If they don’t get tripped up over what to say, then it’s the commitment to a frequent schedule, or even the lack of a jump in Amazon rankings after each new issue. Many lose themselves to the drone of obligatory promotion blasts once a month… Read more »
So you are interested in fiction writing, but you are unsure of how to get started. I completely understand! There’s more to fiction writing than just taking up a pen and paper, or climbing into your computer chair and firing up your laptop. One of the hardest things about fiction writing can be coming up… Read more »
Medical fiction is difficult to write for the inexperienced or novice, and moreover for those not in the medical field. However, for those facing or recovering from a medical crisis or for those whose family members or friends have gone through an ailment, the very experience: the pain and suffering and the awesome insecurities associated… Read more »
