by Loretta Eidson Have you stood before a crowd before a presentation, only to see a variety of expressions returning your stare? It’s easy when everyone smiles and looks eager to hear what you’re about to share, but what about those who are sporting lowered brows or a solemn countenance? When they lean back scowl faced with their arms crossed …
Tips for Co-Writing a Novel
by Kathryn Cushman I’m often asked about co-writing because I’ve done it a few times. My first co-written project, Angel Song, was an unusual collaboration orchestrated by agents. While that worked well, it’s not something writers can often control, so I won’t discuss it here. For my newly released, The Plans We Made, the entire project was conceived, coordinated, and …
11 Elements for the Best First Scenes
By Susan Wingate Writers face many challenges when they start a new project. Many of these challenges arise because the writer doesn’t have a clue about what she even wants to write about. Some challenges arise from structural issues?how to proceed with a story in its formatting, structure and plotting. Other concerns can include finer points like how the major …
Lessons Learned about Promoting a Debut Novel
By Frank A. DiBianca So, after years of writing, revising, professionally editing, finalizing, and submitting manuscripts to agents or publishers, your book has finally been published. But unless you’ve been published by one of the big houses, the lion’s share of selling your book is going to fall squarely in your lap. Now comes the big question. How do you …
Just Getting Started
by Linda Brooks Davis One directive probably every writer has heard is “Write what you know.” Ever mull on those words and come up empty? Or feel as if you’re fighting a war? I have. But when I dig deeper, I invariably recall some gem from the past that usually involves my mother. She was a hoot. No one enjoyed …
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Getting Published
By Michael Jack Webb Okay, it’s not really “funny.” I began brainstorming about becoming an author in my mother’s womb. As a child, I loved to make up and tell fanciful, exciting stories, or act them out. A couple of the kids I grew up with formed a neighborhood drama company, and we put on plays. The first one was …
Getting to a Writer’s Heart
by Lisa Kibler He took a very sharp scalpel and, with great care, cut into my soul and pulled out my guts. The best surgeons know the answers aren’t found on superficial scans. To get to one’s heart, they must split the ribs, dig in, and find what lies beneath, hidden behind the interwoven mass of muscles, bones, and arteries. …
Five Ways to Make Your Writing Retreat Successful
By Kass Fogle Many of us have at least one conference budgeted per year and though we may have attended some virtually, many of us missed the opportunity to get away and stretch our creative muscles. Even without the confines of quarantine, I enjoy at least one solo retreat and share five ways I prepare for success: Pack Your Office …
Maine is a State of Mind
by Suzanne Woods Fisher There’s just something about Maine. It fills the senses: the smell of pine trees, the sound of the sea splashing against the rocky coastline, the sight of a lighthouse, the tangy taste of blueberries, the touch of a lobster claw. Even in winter, those images make you slow down, breathe deeply, and long for summer. As …
Words
By Tanara McCauley We live in an unprecedented time. While there’s nothing new about the circumstances—pandemics, political tension, racial division, economic crises and the like have existed throughout history—this age of social media and varying degrees of quarantine makes ours a unique experience. For example, I bid farewell to my junior and senior students in a Zoom meeting weeks after …