Article Archives — Author

Hiring a Freelance Editor

by Erin Brown

October 2013

You've slaved for months, years-perhaps decades-to finish your manuscript. You've tackled all-nighters, tear-your-hair-out rewrites, grueling self-imposed deadlines; you've grappled with creative juices that either flowed until you were drunk with brilliant narrative or dried up to leave you parched, devoid of inspiration, sobbing onto your keyboard. You get my drift. You've poured your heart and soul into this baby of yours. You've reached the point when you want to start submitting to agents or self-publish.

Erin BrownOctober 1, 2013Comment

The First Stage of Surprise: Denial

by Jason Black

October 2013

Why Do We Deny?

What's behind the human instinct to deny surprising news? Google it and you'll find lots of answers.

Some are facile: denial is easier than facing difficult truths. Maybe in the short term. But in the long run, denial just makes problems harder and consequences worse. That's not easier.

Jason BlackOctober 1, 2013Comment

Off With Its Head!

by Cherie Tucker

September 2013

They're trying to kill the apostrophe. Again. A recent article in the newspaper declared that apostrophes really are unnecessary in company signs. Apparently they take up too much space. And you know they don't appear in names on maps (think Pikes Peak, even though there was only one Pike).

Cherie TuckerSeptember 1, 2013Comment

Website Tips for Authors

by Midge Raymond

September 2013

This article is excerpted from Everyday Book Marketing: Promotion Ideas to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life.

A website is, of course, essential for authors-though keep in mind that it needn't be expensive or high-end. You simply need to have an online presence so that readers, potential reviewers or interviewers, or anyone else interested in your book can find and contact you.

Midge RaymondSeptember 1, 2013Comment

One Team: We All Are Winning

by Jennifer Paros

September 2013

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world it is best to hold hands and stick together.

~Robert Fulghum

When I was young, there was basically only one thing of which I was ever jealous: beauty. I was jealous of the pretty ones - the ones for whom being in a body seemed to be a breeze, an effortless stroll through life and other people's admiration. I was jealous of those who seemed to meet The Criteria. I wanted to meet that criteria, know it, and live happily ever after because of it.

Jennifer ParosSeptember 1, 2013Comment

When Is It Necessary for Writers to Have More than One Blog?

by Kristen Lamb

September 2013

It's never necessary for a writer to have multiple blogs. Can we choose to have them? Sure. Is it a good use of time? Nope. We need that time and word count for the most important aspect of our author platforms:

More books.

William KenowerSeptember 1, 2013Comment

An Offer of Representation: A Success Story

by Brian Mercer

September 2013

I am standing in a room full of literary agents. There are eighteen of them, sitting at individual tables along the periphery of the room. There are three rooms just like this one, more than sixty agents and editors in total, and I have access to them all.

Time is limited. I'll have three minutes per agent to pitch my novel, this after standing in line in front of each table to get a chance to meet them.

Brian MercerSeptember 1, 2013Comment

Dialogue Decree

by Erin Brown

September 2013

Dialogue can be what makes or breaks your characters, much less your novel. I always tell writers that what counts is not what your characters say; it's how they say it. Mr. Steinbeck encompassed this idea perfectly. And I think he knew just a thing or two about writing dialogue. So how do you write strong dialogue, you ask? What a great question! Here are five pointers so that your readers don't want to stick red hot pokers in their eyes when your characters are conversing.

Erin BrownSeptember 1, 2013Comment

The Five Stages of Surprise

by Jason Black

September 2013

Readers judge the believability of your characters on two key factors: how they behave, and how they react. Behaviors are believable when a choice makes sense given everything we know about a character in some situation. But reactions are believable based on the emotions the character displays. This is where writers often fall down.

Jason BlackSeptember 1, 2013Comment

What’s in a Name?

by Cherie Tucker

August 2013

It’s amazing how many people seem to be upset that the new little prince in Britain is named George. Maybe they’ll feel better when he’s King George VII. One thing is for certain, however: he will be able to sign his name, and people will know he’s a male. Not all names are so decisive.

Cherie TuckerAugust 1, 2013Comment

Behind the Scenes

by Jennifer Paros

August 2013

There is a fountain inside you. Don’t walk around with an empty bucket.

~ Rumi

I had a crush on a boy when I was fifteen. Physically, he was actually the opposite of what I was attracted to. He was substantially overweight, with some sort of mole or birthmark on his face, a larger nose, and an expression that wasn’t particularly inviting. He was smart, however, and had a sharp sense of humor.

Jennifer ParosAugust 1, 2013Comment

How to End a Novel without Killing Your Characters

by Jason Black

August 2013

You know what I remember most about writing my first manuscript? Writing the ending. I’d had such a wonderful time writing that whole manuscript. I loved those characters. When I wrote what I knew was the last scene, I became so choked up the lump in my throat literally hurt.

Jason BlackAugust 1, 2013Comment

So Much to Be Grateful For

by Kristin Meekhof

August 2013

I was age 33 when my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and about eight weeks later, he died. Our brief, brutal and beautiful story is below.

It's October and pitch black outside. The birds are not even awake, and I'm rumbling through my purse, going to turn on the car, to make sure the seat warmer on the passenger side is on because my husband's frail and skinny body easily gets cold.

Kristin MeekhofAugust 1, 2013Comment

The Thing Is

by Jennifer Paros

July 2013

So this is how you swim inward, So this is how you flow outwards . . . .

~ Mary Oliver

When I was a kid, I had to have a certain very soft, smooth pillowcase in order to sleep; I was particular about food; if clothing was in any way tight or bothersome, it was wrestled to the ground and rejected. Swimming scared me; putting my face in the water and blowing bubbles was an ordeal. Learning to ride a bike haunted me – I feared losing control. Overall, my personality did not embody the adventurous spirit.

Jennifer ParosJuly 1, 2013Comment

The Mind Key: An Excerpt from Making Your Creative Mark

by Eric Maisel

July 2013

Your first task as a creative person is to “mind your mind” and think thoughts that serve you. Doesn’t it make sense to speak to yourself in ways that help you create more deeply and more regularly, that allow you to detach more effectively from the everyday chaos of ordinary life, that decrease your anxiety and negativity, and that remind you that you are in charge of showing up and making an effort?

Eric MaiselJuly 1, 2013Comment

How to Make the Most of Your Conferences or Die Trying

by Erin Brown

July 2013

Okay, so hopefully you won’t actually die trying to survive and thrive at a writers’ conference, although if you corner an agent in the bathroom to make a pitch, you’re playing with fire. So how can you make the most of your conference experience so that you walk away at the end with your head held high, with a wealth of new knowledge, and with some key contacts?

Erin BrownJuly 1, 2013Comment

Writing My Own Destiny

by Devyani Borade

July 2013

As writers, we know better than anyone the power of the right word. A carefully picked verb, an aptly placed adjective – these are the things that make us tick. We could probably live forever off the high of a perfect rhyme and a thundering opening paragraph. But I could never have imagined the far-reaching effects of what started off as a hobby.

Devyani BoradeJuly 1, 2013Comment

Failure is Dramatic

by Jason Black

July 2013

I've heard lots of writers and writing experts preach the gospel of failure—that is, letting your characters fail at their endeavors—saying it creates drama. There are many reasons why, but the best ones relate to what failure teaches readers about your characters.

Jason BlackJuly 1, 2013Comment

I Now Pronounce You

by Cherie Tucker

June 2013

Mrs. Jackson, my second grade teacher, had our class remain standing after the flag salute and repeat “Feb-ru-ary, li-brar-y, and pump-kin.” Anyone who said “liberry” or “Feb-you-ary,” or, heaven forbid, “punkin,” was taken into the cloakroom and paddled. She would have had a field day with the fellow I heard on the radio this week say “mis-cheevʹ-e-ous” instead of “misʹ-chiv-us.”

Cherie TuckerJune 1, 2013Comment

"I Want to Let My Cats Out" And Greater Issues of Independent and Collective Thinking

by Jennifer Paros

When I was a kid, it was common for cat owners to let their cats outside, at least in my small world. No one wanted them to get run over or harmed in any way, of course, but the fact that it happened sometimes was accepted - the way we accepted the possibility of accidents and illnesses of all kinds.

Jennifer ParosJune 1, 2013Comment