by Maggie Brendan With the current release of my sixth book, Perfectly Matched, last week, I was at the Georgia Romance Writers Conference, when another writer asked me if I had a guide to staying focused to write each book, handle marketing, and still maintain a separate life apart from my work. It was a thought provoking question which made …
Mentoring: Pay It Forward
By Margaret Daley Years ago when I started writing, the Internet didn’t exist, nor did the current plethora of how-to-books on romance writing. The writing groups so many of us now take for granted in helping beginners learn the craft of telling a good story weren’t exactly on every street corner either! In the city where I live, I was …
Writing Historical Novels, Part 2
By Carrie Turansky On Sept. 5th I shared several tips on research for historical authors. Today I’d like to continue with that topic and give you a few more ideas. All of these have been very helpful to me as I have been writing The Edwardian Brides Series, and today I am celebrating the release of Book One, The Governess …
Little Things Mean A Lot
by Dr. Richard Mabry As writers of fiction, we obsess over the big things: characters and plot. We work to make certain that readers invest themselves in the people who populate our stories and that every page provides an impetus to turn to the next one. We worry about the big things, and that’s as it should be, but how …
Three Steps to Prevent Over Firing
by Davalynn Spencer We just moved into a new-to-us home and are acquainting ourselves with the light-switch locations, key-to-lock equations, and appliance operations-which, in my book, includes the wood stove. Though the stove is not technically an appliance, I want to be ready for action come the first snow of the season. A cozy fire on a cold Colorado night …
Say Goodbye to Frenzy in Your Writing Life
by Judy Christie When I turned fifty, I gave myself a book for my birthday: I committed to write my first novel. I’m astonished that In the past six years, I’ve had seven novels published, with number eight set to release next fall. In addition, I work a “day job” as a consultant. I am so thankful–and pooped. Like many …
Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner
by Cynthia Herron Twenty years ago, the world of writing was a much different scenario. Writers had fewer irons in the fire and more time to create. The internet was still new, a “social media presence” unheard of, and snail mail the order of the day. Today, we have the ability to research from anywhere at the touch of a …
Writer Whacked!
By David W. Fry Crouched behind a case of Tylenol, Dean sees his reflection in the shiny placard announcing the sale of Halloween candy on aisle thirteen. A shadow moves to eclipse his image. Dean pivots, his shoes squealing as if to warn, but it’s too late. I’m going to be clocked by a can of pumpkin and I didn’t …
Doing Time
by Deborah Raney Every year I anticipate this season when the brand new calendars go on sale! I always have such fun choosing the calendar that will hang on our fridge keeping track of all the important events of our lives. I get great pleasure from turning to a new page at the beginning of each month-a fresh start, a …
Distractions
by Carolyne Aarsen We all have them and we all give in to them. As a writer, working from home, with a refrigerator only a procrastination away, distractions are my nemesis. The biggest ones? The Internet and e-mail. No contest. I will be working away and hit a snag. Doesn’t even need to be a big one. Can be something …