by Telena Tanara Contreras I am a planner down to the last detail, organizing my life much like I organize my family’s travels. When a trip approaches, I map out the events, orchestrate the timeline, gather the supplies, and instruct the participants. I make sure my perfect little plan is in picture perfect order before bags can be loaded and …
Day Job?
by Beth Shriver I’ve always admired writers who also have another job as well as their writing. I was a social worker before my daughter was born and started writing soon after, but now that my youngest is off to college I’ve ventured back into the work force. I’m still learning how to balance the two. The first thing I …
FIFTEEN MINUTES TO FAME: How to Complete Your Historical Novel Without Quitting Your Day Job
By Kathleen Y’Barbo We historical authors are an interesting breed. Those of us who have answered the call can attest to the fact that there are no shortcuts in penning novels set in past eras. As with any other type of writing, plotting, planning, and research take time. If you’re a fulltime writer who has no trouble fitting your writing …
Why Do We Torture Ourselves?
By Vickie McDonough The first goal I can remember having was to grow up and marry a rancher. I loved horses, and I guess that my pre-teen mind reasoned if I married a rancher I could have all the horses I wanted. In the mean time, I read every book I could find with a horse on the cover. Years …
The Long Wait
by Dani Pettrey If nothing else, writing for publication produces patience. It takes time to learn to craft a novel, time to write the novel, and then, when you finally feel you’re finished, you often face years trying to find a home for your babies. It takes time to find an agent, time to find an editor, time to get …
Casting Notes For Character Auditions
A Novel Writing Exercise by Janet Chester Bly My husband, Steve, dictated these sketchy notes to me in the hospital on May 21st, 2011, concerning his novel, “Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot”. He passed away a few weeks later . . . Willamette Valley orphan farm Lair Apishamore, a character in Hawthorne Miller dime novel Romal Vug, a character in Hawthorne …
To Market, to Market to Buy a Fat Pig…
by Crystal Laine Miller “…Home again, home again, jiggedty-jig!” How many times did we sing that song as kids? And we caught many product commercials on our three-channel TV that we noticed from singing the interesting jingles. Well, guess what? Authors have to market their product too, in interesting ways. Here are a few tips from a well-read reader-me. First, …
The Write Stuff
by Michelle Arch As an MFA student, a short fiction writer, an aspiring novelist, and a literary blogger, I reflect frequently on the issues of universality and marketability in relation to art. Whether composing a chapter of my novel, a short story, or even a mere blog post, questions of significance dog me: What is writeaboutable? What merits the deconstruction …
Grace Under Pressure
by Laurie Alice Eakes Once upon a time, I believed the time, mood, and environment had to be just right for me to find the creative energy within me. Without this perfect setting, the “muse” would never pay me a visit. The words would not flow. Then my first truly serious deadline hit. Three months to finish a 50,000 word …
Cat Block
by Beth Shriver I bet you’ve never used a cat to gage your level of writers block…but I don’t hear anyone opposing the idea so I’ll continue. I don’t know about you but I have three furry friends who keep me company while I write. After a dog bone, a scoop of cat food, and a cup of coffee, the …