by Michelle Arch Anyone who has been engaged in the craft of writing for any length of time has developed a uniquely personal style. During the last several years in Chapman University’s dual Master of Arts in English and MFA in Creative Writing program, my own narrative manner has been described in workshops as meticulous, high, ornamental, tedious, lovely, distracting, …
Lesson Learned
by Lynn Hobbs Humbled to have my work accepted in a writer’s anthology, I dove into the edits they required for my three short stories. No problem with edits. With the third book in my series scheduled for publication later this year, I appreciate and value constructive criticism. I am a firm believer in attending workshops, conferences, and local writer’s …
In God’s Waiting Room
by Sarah Sundin “Wait.” We don’t like that word, do we? But a writer’s life is filled with waiting. Most famously, we wait for that first book contract. But the waiting doesn’t end. We wait for our editor’s approval. We wait for reviews. We wait for readers’ reactions. We wait for sales figures. And many published authors go through another …
Bugged by the Ladies
by Dana Mentink Consider the humble ladybug, fellow readers and writers. She’s less than a quarter of an inch long, silent and stoic and more than likely unnoticed in your yard. Truth be told, she’s a powerhouse, a dynamic dame that can teach us a lot about the wild and wacky world of writing. Let’s take a moment to look …
Subtle Set-ups and Powerful Pay-offs
by Christine Sunderland Life is a journey from choice to choice, an exercise of free will. When we choose, a genetic component changes, and we become slightly different people. We have chosen a direction that informs our genes and colors our future choices. As readers we follow this journey in stories. We wonder where the choices will take us. But …
Critiquing Suggestions for Transitioning to Published Author
by Carrie Fancett Pagels I’ve posted elsewhere about not despising the day of small beginnings, as the Bible also tells us. One of the blessings of working on three “smaller” publications in the past several months is what I’ve learned about my writing life. For example, how can I best work with a Critique Partner (will abbreviate as CP henceforth.) …
5 Keys to a Successful Editor/Agent Appointment
By Elizabeth Ludwig Few things strike fear into the stout of heart more than speaking in public. In fact, according to a recent Gallup Poll, the only thing more petrifying is a fear of snakes. Is it any wonder, therefore, that writers are often reduced to stuttering, terror-stricken imbeciles when faced with the prospect of sitting down with an editor …
Letting Your Protagonist Be Super and Human
by Rachel Hauck Did you see the movie, “The Avengers”? Did you like it? I did last year and wow! Another blow-’em-up New York City movie. I think Hollywood needs to get more creative, but hey, that’s me. Poor NYC if anything ever happens to them as depicted in movies! Back to “The Avengers”. Besides Ironman, Thor, Hulk and Captain …
What Coldplay Taught Me About Pitching
by Melissa Tagg Anybody who knows me knows I love Coldplay. Like, soooo much. I’m convinced there’s a Coldplay song fitting for every occasion in life. And one of my great dreams is for someone to someday sing Coldplay’s “Green Eyes” to me. Except I actually have blue eyes, so it’d be kind of weird. But still. I love Coldplay. …
Writing and Time Management
by Jennie Atkins So you want to write, but you have to hold down your dreaded day job, be super mom, or just get through your never-ending to-do list. There are days you finally drag yourself to your computer and barely squeak out a paragraph or two at best. Or you get sidetracked with e-mails, phone calls, or a hundred …