Writer Fuel: Rethinking the Way We Workshop

Writer Fuel: Rethinking the Way We Workshop

Once upon a time, a workshop was considered a place where you did the work. Think of a carpenter’s workshop, with sawdust covering the tables and coils or scraps of wood littering the floors. Or consider Santa’s workshop, where elves engage in the cheery job of making toys for all the good little children of… Read more »

History at Bouchercon 2023

History at Bouchercon 2023

Bouchercon is the annual world mystery convention, this year held in San Diego, California. Every conceivable form of mystery, suspense, and thriller novel, from teddy bear cozies to hard-boiled, and noir can be found here. This year’s convention brought together approximately seventeen hundred people for four and a half days of fun and crime at… Read more »

Noir and Its Cousins at Bouchercon 2023

Noir and Its Cousins at Bouchercon 2023

Bouchercon is the annual World Mystery Convention held in honor of Anthony Boucher, a writer and editor of mysteries. This convention moves to a different city every year. This year in San Diego, seventeen hundred people attended. In the next few years, Bouchercon will go to Nashville, New Orleans, and Calgary before coming back to… Read more »

Have Your Cake (And Eat It, Too) With Social Media

Have Your Cake (And Eat It, Too) With Social Media

Outside of social media, would you walk up to people you don’t know while grocery shopping and say, “I love your shirt.” Here’s what I ate for breakfast.” I traveled to Paris too!” “I’m reading this book now. What are you reading?” You wouldn’t. And yet that is what you essentially do on social media…. Read more »

History at Malice Domestic

History at Malice Domestic

As writers, we are encouraged to go to conferences. To get the lay of the genre and the industry. To fangirl/boy with our favorite authors. To network and to take workshops. To meet and pitch to agents. In short, to find our community. I cannot think of a better one for the new or emerging… Read more »

Create a Happy and Healthy Writing Life

Create a Happy and Healthy Writing Life

Writer wellness is a journey, not a goal. It is an attainable path for a sustainable writing routine that is built in small ways of taking care of yourself. I teach at an adaptive sports and fitness center. I wake up every day with the purpose of making Tai Chi possible for anyone in any… Read more »

The Alchemy of Personalities and Talents in a Writing Group

The Alchemy of Personalities and Talents in a Writing Group

In our last article, we introduced ourselves, described how we formed within the crucible of DIY MFA, and touched on how we’ve benefited. We recognized that our writing group has strengthened our identities as writers. Today we’re exploring how we bring the diversity of our knowledge, skills, and personalities to our metaphorical table and use… Read more »

Develop Self-Confidence for Your Pitch (No Matter Your Age)

Develop Self-Confidence for Your Pitch (No Matter Your Age)

If you’re a writer of a certain age (i.e., not young), pitching face-to-face to a young agent or editor, your understandable anxiety may include the subject of your appearance. Seated across from the agent, you may misinterpret the look on her face, while imagining the agent’s internal voice wondering: “Just how old is she?”  Whether… Read more »

#5onFri: Five Merchandising Tips for Writers

#5onFri: Five Merchandising Tips for Writers

It may seem counterintuitive, but as a writer, you have to tackle many job descriptions that go far beyond putting pen to paper. When you’ve finished writing a book, the real work begins. With so much competition out there in the self-publishing world, you need to boost your visibility and revenue—from there you can keep… Read more »