a guest post by Steven Womack I can’t believe it’s been this long. Then again, I can’t believe I’m this old. Long before a lot of you reading this were ever born, a high school teacher in upstate Ohio assigned my junior English class a novel to read. I’d never heard of the book or…
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Get Your Book Seen and Sold
a new book from Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette It is easier than ever to publish a book, but many authors find out too late about the actual work-the book marketing-that needs to be done to achieve sizable book sales. Instead of embracing the opportunities to promote their books, authors are intimidated and shut down….
Lisa Dordal ~ 3 Questions & a Poem
3 Questions and a Poem–in which one of my favorite poets is interviewed and shares a poem. QUESTION 1 What do you consider the three most important elements of a poem? For me, the three most important elements of a poem are authenticity, accessibility, and a sense of surprise or discovery. These are what I…
b.read.crumbs : Storytelling
Once upon a time and not so very long ago, I outlined an August in which I’d make final revisions on three essays, but my story took a turn I never anticipated. Backstory: Instead of writing and hiking at my leisure, I spent the month living in a chair-bed (it wasn’t very good at being…
Anne R Allen – Three Questions & a Cover
Three Questions and a Cover — a short interview with one of my favorite authors, along with one of the author’s covers. Trust me–if you aren’t a fan of Anne R Allen’s writing, it’s only because you haven’t read her yet. Question 1 What one piece of advice can you offer to a writer who…
Interview : Evy Journey, author of The Golden Manuscript
A short interview wherein my guest, one of my favorite authors, answers questions about the writing life. Q: What did you remove from the final draft that readers might like to see? I deleted an opening scene from the Epilogue (Spring 2010) and a whole chapter just before that written in the male character’s POV,…
You have a great idea! But will it be a great book?
guest post by Michelle Waitzman I was recently asked in an interview, “How do you know which of your ideas you should turn into a book?” As a non-fiction author, my ideas for books are triggered by my curiosity about a particular subject. For novelists, they might come from a snippet of overheard conversation, a…
Find Your Fictional Character’s Energy Motivators – Part 7 : Consciousness
Using an ancient philosophy of energy to help you create better characters This is the seventh and final part of a series of posts that exist across multiple blogs. You can find links to the other posts in the series here. We’ve discussed the four lower Energies and the two higher Energy in those previous…
Kirsten Weiss ~ Three Questions & a Cover
A short interview wherein my guest, one of my favorite authors, answers three questions about the writing life. Question 1 Do you create elaborate outlines for your books? If so, can you explain the process (briefly)? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants? If so, do you have any tricks you use to…
Mandy Haynes – Three Questions & a Cover
Three Questions and a Cover — a short interview with one of my favorite authors, along with one of the author’s covers. My guest today is the multi-talented Mandy Haynes. I think you’ll be surprised by some of what she reveals in this interview. Apparently she was, too. Question: What one piece of advice can you…