Here we are again: another year finished. And here’s to 2021 being a far better year for us all than 2020 ever was! Do you have any New Year’s superstitions? This year, I’m going all out. At the stroke of midnight, the house will be swept, the doors opened, and sage smudging begun. We’re also…
Happy Holidays to all and a Happy New Year! December and January are when we hold our Winter celebrations – whichever you prefer to celebrate. We shut out the cold and turn to the warmth of friends and family. We eat special foods and light up the darkness and forget the weather for a few…
It’s that time of year again — time to think about the perfect gift for your writer friend or family member. Not to worry, though. Here are XX great ideas for your author. And you’ve still got nearly a week to pick them up! The Writer Emergency Pack ($14) – 26 illustrated idea cards and…
For my sixtieth birthday (that can’t be right!), I spent a long weekend in New Orleans. COVID-19 has changed the landscape nearly as much as Hurricane Katrina: no open jazz clubs, no bus tours of the city, far fewer walking tours and everyone on edge about wearing your mask at all times. However, The Traveling…
In two days I will be 60. That just can’t be right, can it? I can’t say I’ve been a writer all those years, though I have been a storyteller since I could speak coherently. My early writing is unpublished and rightly so! However, I feel I’ve progressed as a writer until the point where…
Once again, it’s time for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Post! A writer’s life is one of insecurities. I’d imagine even a New York Times Bestselling author – perhaps especially a New York Bestselling author – worries that their writing just isn’t good enough, that they can never equal what they’ve already produced. Writing is…
Robin Gainey did a great webinar for my writing conference about “First Page Perfect.” Here are some of her suggestions: In the perfect first page, the main character must be sympathetic and introduced in a setting: Here are some things she recommends you not do: Robin says you should read and question. Read your story…
I love Dean Koontz — he has a knack for setting the hairs on your nape standing up, while still leaving you with a feel-good ending (unlike Stephen King, who leaves a bitter taste in my mouth with his dystopian endings). Since his wife, Michelle, left seven years ago, Jeffy Coltrane has worked to maintain…
I “attended” a virtual query letter “boot camp” last month. Angie Hodapp talked about some pitfalls you might fall into while writing your query letter pitch — the part where you describe your story and try to hook the agent or editor. First, here are some awkward phrases to avoid: “Have you ever wondered…?” “What…
November’s Question: Albert Camus once said: “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner said: “I write to discover what I know.” Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write? Why do I write character-driven science fiction? I’ve had…