I’ve wanted to write a novel since the age of five. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I started several novels but never finished a single one because life always got in the way. Adult life will throw you a curve and often make you think you’re too old for your passions. When I was 34,… Read more »
In the first fiction workshop I ever took, our instructor said to us, “Do you know what the difference between a really good fiction writer and you is? They make better sentences.” I knew even then that there was more of a difference between those writers and us, but his words have always stuck with… Read more »
Whenever I’m asked who my dream dinner guest is, I still say: Anthony Bourdain. For years, I imagined sharing a meal with him in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant having giant belly laughs and leaving with a full heart. I don’t believe I’m alone in that. Some people are born storytellers. They know how to grab an… Read more »
Editor’s Note: The following is a scary story based on the author’s experiences with being self-published. Happy Halloween! The autumn wind howls through the bare branches, rattling the dead leaves as the phone lines skip rope overhead. A lanky figure emerges from the gloom, its tattered clothes flapping against its mottled green skin. Slobbering and… Read more »
As writers, I’m sure we’ve all heard our fair share of colorful writing advice from famous authors. From the controversial “Write drunk, edit sober” (frequently attributed to Ernest Hemingway, but actually sourced from a novel by Peter de Vries) to the unorthodox suggestion of “Get a cat” (one of my personal favorites, courtesy of Muriel… Read more »
I am an alumna of Pixels to Platform and DIY MFA 101. In my writing and life as a writer, I incorporate practices from my teaching as a certified Breath Qigong Yoga and Tai Chi instructor. I am also studying to be certified as a WELL Accredited Professional for health and wellness in building design…. Read more »
It happens to all writers. Your head is full of ideas that paint great pictures in your head, which you’re longing to put on paper, but the muse Calliope just isn’t there with inspiration for you. But if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain. In other words,… Read more »
Let me confess, I’m a bit of a notebook addict. There’s nothing I love more than a new notebook brimming with blank pages full of potential. At the start of this year, I received a big, beautiful notebook from my mother-in-law, who is an avid reader herself. The day she bought me this notebook, we… Read more »
Lots of people say they want to write a book about their life. Over the course of years and decades, they’ve amassed experiences and learned lessons that make for interesting reading and inspiration for others. That makes sense. We all have a story to tell – and really, more than one story. Which can make… Read more »
Does the idea of marketing yourself and your books make your head hurt? You are not alone! While writing books comes naturally to us, marketing seems so vague and complicated. And yet it’s a necessary evil that must be overcome if we want to be successful indie authors. We scour the internet, listen to a… Read more »
