By Suzanne Kuhn In one of our early coaching sessions, we ask our authors to answer three questions about themselves and their book(s); so what, who cares and why you? Many authors fail to take this self-evaluative journey. As we lead them towards answering these questions, they find their audience, purpose and direction in the marketing of their books. So …
The Purpose of Fictional Sidekicks
By Lisa Jordan Lone Ranger & Tonto. LaVerne & Shirley. Lucy & Ethel. Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson. Batman & Robin. Shaggy & Scooby. Frodo & Samwise. Lorelei & Sookie. These names may sound familiar, but what do they have in common? They’re all fictional main characters with their sidekicks, or close companions. Just as real people have sidekicks-friendships with …
In the ‘Just Before’
By Elizabeth B. Elliott I love the time “just before.” Just before starting a project, just before opening a new book, just before sitting down for a long-awaited conversation with an old friend. So it is no surprise that the week just before the New Year is my favorite week of the year. There are few commitments and fewer expectations. …
10 Tips for Feeding Your Writer’s Soul
by Edie Melson Writing is hard work, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We spend hours at a computer, neglecting exercise and proper posture. Beyond that, we pour our hearts and souls into the words we arrange into stories, articles, even blog posts. We spend time and money learning how to write, constantly improving our skills. Then, when it seems like it …
Murphy Lives Here
By Linda Robinson Lately, my writing journey has been derailed by Murphy. It’s bad enough when my muse takes a vacation. Eventually she returns, and it’s usually when I become self-disciplined and sit down in my computer chair to write-about ten o’clock at night. But I don’t always do that. For good reason. In August, we decided to update the …
Keepin’ It Fresh
By Karen H. Richardson Recently, I spent some time reviewing the 123 posts from KK’s Candor, www.kkscandor.com, my personal blog. In this review I noticed that several topics or themes were repeated. The change of seasons and holiday theme seemed to run with the calendar. These calendar-cycle themes come too easy. It takes little effort to find emotions or symbols …
An Extrovert’s Tips for Making Connections in ACFW
By Traci Tyne Hilton A funny thing happened at conference this year. I noticed that some of the name tags had little ribbons on them that said “author.” Now, it’s a fiction writers conference, so I figured we were all “authors,” but since only some folks had the author ribbon, I also figured the ribbon signified something more than just …
Writing Lessons from the Master Author
By Marilyn Turk The more I study the craft of writing, the more I read like a writer. I look at how the author tells the story – word choice, POV, structure, and how many “rules” are broken. I also consider ways the story could be better – what could be left out or added to make it stronger. So …
CREATIVE OR CRAZY? The Writer at Christmas
by Patti Jo Moore Like many people, the Christmas season is my very favorite time of year. I love the music, the lights, and most of all remembering the Reason for this holiday season. Even though my life isn’t quite as hectic as it was when my children were little, I still find myself getting caught up in the flurry …
10 Lessons from My First Indie Book
By Judy Christie A year ago I didn’t know what a hybrid author was. Now I am one. This past week my first indie book, “Wreath, A Girl,” a new edition of a YA novel, joined my traditionally published books. The process has been exhilarating…and exhausting. While the lessons haven’t marinated long, I hope they will help if you’re considering …