22 May 2015

Why you can’t just write

by | posted in: Book Marketing | 5

A common thing I have seen in the writing community from attending a lot of groups is that there are quite a few people out there who ignore the marketing aspect of the writer life. They want to hire someone else to worry about that so they can just write. It’s a great thought and one that, in a perfect world, would be the norm. Unfortunately, that is not the reality. Marketing, particularly social networking, is a necessary evil if … Read More »
6 May 2015

Shaking up the writing routine

by | posted in: Writing Craft | 1

I’m usually what’s called a pantser (someone who just sits down and writes with no idea of where the story will go). When I decided to write a novel for NaNo last month, I realized there were a lot of problems with that method for me. One, I usually have zero idea of what I am going to write. This leads me to spend the first week of the challenge pouring over writing prompts to see what might come to … Read More »

muse
1 May 2015

Contemplating your muse…

by | posted in: Writing Life | 4

With CP Bialois’ post about his muse and the resulting conversation, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to bring a variation of an old post out. See, my first book was actually told from the point of view of a muse. It followed one named Clarissa through the ages as she dealt with a nervous musician, a budding politician, and others. It was an interesting project that made me ponder a lot of questions. Who is my muse? What … Read More »
29 Apr 2015

Rules for being in a critique group

by | posted in: Writing Craft | 6

So, I was inspired by CP’s post the other day as well as a meme I saw to talk about something I’ve come across at writing meetings a lot. There are a lot of writing groups that allow people to bring in material for critique. Depending on the group, you can only bring flash fiction, a limited number of chapters, or something else. Whatever you’re bringing in, here are some things to keep in mind. Pre-Conceived Ideas are your enemy.  … Read More »
22 Apr 2015

Let passion for writing guide, not dollar sign

by | posted in: Writing Life | 2

Jennie Jarvis shared something yesterday that I felt compelled to share on our Facebook page. It was an article about the sobering reality of how much a writer can make online. She also pointed out that she knew several NYT best sellers that currently teach on the side to supplement their income. Jarvis and the author of the article were not the first to point this out, and they won’t be the last. Stephen King pointed out in On Writing … Read More »
10 Apr 2015

Social Media 101: Variety is the spice of life

by | posted in: Book Marketing, Social Media, Writing Life | 0

Note: Sorry this post is late today. It’s been one of those weeks! The old saying is cliche, but it’s true. One of the biggest mistakes some make is putting all their social media eggs in one basket. Let’s take a look at why this is a bad idea. When you limit your options, you limit your audience. Every site is a unique entity with its own membership and style. By sticking to only one site, you’re missing a vast … Read More »

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