Do you worry about ebook theft or someone stealing your writing or ideas? Lots of writers worry, especially early on. I remember a short story class in college and some students who were so anxious about stealing and copyright issues they were afraid to share their work with critique partners or read aloud. And some writers are afraid that a … Read more
When I told a writer friend I have a new book out, she nodded. “Yup. That was good. Enjoyed it.” I could tell she was being nice about my tendency to repeat stuff I’ve already mentioned. But in this case, I wasn’t talking about Colors. It was talking about something totally different. “No, no. Not that … Read more
If you’re a film buff, you might dream of writing the perfect screenplay. You know you have the talent, and joining the ranks of the most sought-after, established screenwriters has been a long-time goal. Or you just think it would be a cool thing to try; so many movies are disappointments, after all, and couldn’t you … Read more
Do you follow a style guide? Do you know which one you should use? Lots of writers have questions about grammar and punctuation or, if you’re like me, sometimes you forget the rule for unusual situations you rarely see or use. Or you know the rule changed, but you need to make sure. Just a … Read more
Writing a novel? If you’re writing during National Novel Writing Month—NaNoWriMo—you’re probably too busy writing to read about plot structure, narrative structure, dramatic structure, storylines, or narrative arcs right now. So many terms. So little time. But listen up. Plot structure can mean the difference between 50,000 words worth of beautiful descriptions, action-packed scenes, and … Read more
If you’ve ever doubted you can write a novel in 30 days, rest assured. You can. I have. And so have many others. Granted, a few of the novels I’ve written during NaNoWriMo didn’t turn out quite the way I’d hoped. But each one is salvageable, and last year’s novel turned into something quite different. … Read more
Many of you know I’m working on a novel, so you might be surprised that I just finished a short story and published it on Amazon and other online outlets via Smashwords. But I’ll bet some of you might be wondering why I’d break concentration on a novel and write a short story. Isn’t the … Read more
So you’re writing a novel. Or you want to. And no matter how many novels you’ve read, you’ve probably found out that writing one is a completely different story. Even if you’re an experienced non-fiction writer—maybe a blogger or a freelance writer—there’s a lot to learn when it come to fiction writing. And the best … Read more
Note: This is a guest post by novelist Cheri Roman. Be sure to scroll down and check out her latest! Early in my career, the only way to get published was a contract with a traditional publisher. So I wrote my first book and stepped gleefully into Traditional Station, certain that in no time, I’d … Read more
You’re in the middle of NaNoWriMo, and you’re not coming up with anything. None of the prompts from the site are helping. Nothing is inspiring you. You’re completely frustrated—and stuck. I know the feeling. It must be writer’s block, right? Or you’ve been deluding yourself. This just isn’t working for you. Maybe next year… Stop … Read more