I've been in a few conversations lately that remind me how much writers treat their works like their children. I have a good friend who I'm sure will hit the publishing world in a big way at some point. There's a fantasy he's been working on for a long time. It's the first writing project … Continue reading Let. Go.
Publishing
Four Letter Word
FOUR LETTER WORD and what it takes to get a story right. I met Christa Desir sometime in 2012, and I feel SO incredibly lucky to know her for about a million reasons. I started writing an intro to her publication story of this book, but she says it all much better, so here's the … Continue reading Four Letter Word
YAY! I made it! Oh, wait…
A frenzy of self-publishing followed Amazon's program to allow authors to publish their own works. A bit slowly at first, and then an explosion in 2011 and 2012, which is still exploding. And no, Amazon wasn't the only company, but they were, and still are, the largest. Some of the big names to come out … Continue reading YAY! I made it! Oh, wait…
Manuscript Isn’t Selling?
The thing I hear most often at writing conferences is the following : I’ve edited and edited. Worked and worked. And I still can’t get an agent or publisher interested in my Manuscript. So, I paired up with MAKEREADY DESIGNS/QUIRKS & COMMAS to offer the following: A free read of chapter one (no more than 4k) – at … Continue reading Manuscript Isn’t Selling?
Humilty & Ego
There's a place for both humility and ego in any creative project. Ego has its place in drafting, in creating, in crafting... Humility is needed for editing and yes, crafting goes here too. The one time I get the perfect balance of humility and ego is when I'm working on a project with another author. … Continue reading Humilty & Ego
Do NOT Apologize for Your Genre
OK. I'm going to keep this simple, because I like simple. 1. There are people who love reading in every genre. Don't do them the disrespect of looking down on a genre - even your own. 2. Publishing is HARD. Having novels come out into the world is HARD. The part that should be fun … Continue reading Do NOT Apologize for Your Genre
When to Walk Away
In the years since I started writing seriously, a couple things come up over and over and over: The writer who is desperate to be published, but has been working on the same project for somewhere between 3-10 years... I want to tell most of these people that their first project will probably never see the … Continue reading When to Walk Away
In Brief: Mooshing 2 Genres/Writers Into One Book
I've read a few posts on this already, but I'm going to throw my few cents into the conversation. Okay. No cents. Just words. I'm lame. We have this idea that if we write a book that crosses genres rather dramatically, we will widen our audience to epic proportions. So, if we write a book … Continue reading In Brief: Mooshing 2 Genres/Writers Into One Book
Rant: on DNF Reviews
I get twitchy and maybe a little stabby every time I see a DNF (did not finish) review for a contemporary YA, or any novel, where the MC was a terrible person in the beginning, and the person didn't keep reading for this reason. Um... If the character was perfect, conflict would be a little … Continue reading Rant: on DNF Reviews
In Brief: Levels of Edits
This post is probably most useful to pre-published authors. ROUND ONE - CONTENT This is where you take the seed of an idea that you love, and turn it into something workable. What to keep in mind in round one, as both the author or a reader: Overall story arc Pacing Character arc and characterization … Continue reading In Brief: Levels of Edits
