Writing
What Marketing Books and Garage Sales Have in Common
I dislike garage sales. Both shopping at them and even more, having them. But we’re moving, and I refuse to haul stuff I don’t use to yet another house. So, much as I avoid them, I organized a neighborhood garage sale for this weekend, figuring it would help my neighbors lighten up on the junk,…
Read MoreHow Spill Strong Emotion on the Page
I’ll admit, this blog was sparked by THIS one (it’s awesome-go read it-we’ll wait). It had a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald: “… I’m afraid the price for doing professional work is a good deal higher than you are prepared to pay at the moment. You’ve got to sell your heart, your strongest reactions, not…
Read MoreReviews – the Good, the Bad, the Brutal
Reviews are one of the top three causes for visceral emotions in authors. Two-inches-off-the-floor elation to meltdowns, there’s nothing we look forward to with more hopeful trepidation. Many authors refuse to look at them. They say it’s death by a million cuts, and I get it. You spend six months to a year writing the…
Read MoreFlash Fiction – Just for Fun
I wrote a post a while ago, on why you should write Flash Fiction – you can read it HERE. I enjoy the heck out of it – it’s like cleansing my palette between projects…cleans out the old plots and leaves my mind clear for the next. Then Sherry Gross told me about NYC…
Read MoreHappy Women’s Fiction Day!
Never heard of it? Here’s what it is: So it isn’t just for women – it can be written by men (and it is!) and can even have a male protagonist. I was lucky enough to have my WF mentioned in the BookTrib post today. There are some wonderful books here! And it has…
Read MoreTrust Your Reader!
I am a very lean writer (not a lean person, mind you, that’s a different meeting). I think when you pare a sentence to its essence, making sure that every word is critical and sparkly, that’s when the power comes through. Many writers (and not just beginners) end up saying something more than once. It…
Read MoreWord Pictures – Song Lyrics
I was chatting with an old friend via email this morning, and we were discussing song lyrics. It’s a favorite topic of mine, because I’ve always wanted to write them. After all, they’re just a hugely abbreviated form of writing. Mini Flash Fiction, with poetry thrown in. I love how songwriters can capture a mood…
Read MoreTwo Words to Strengthen Your Writing: Margie Lawson
I’ll bet this name is not new to you (if it is, check her out!) she’s been around for years. But have you taken any of her classes? Done a Fab 30? Been to an Immersion? If not, why? You can check out Lawson Writers Academy HERE. No, Margie doesn’t pay me for commercials. I’m…
Read MoreDoes an Extroverted Writer Have the Advantage? Maybe Not
I’ve read a lot of blogs lately by introverted writers pointing out how hard it is for them, nowadays. There are probably more introverted authors than extroverts. After all, it’s darned near a cliché – the writer living in seclusion, typing away in obscurity. That’s all you see in movies: As Good as it Gets, Something’s Gotta Give – even, dare…
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