Did you know that one of the keywords that pops up more frequently than many other felt needs is community? Relatable, shared-value, safe community is a heart-longing, even if unexpressed or resisted.
A high percentage of writers are introverts, …
Unbelievable
What makes a reader set a book aside with the comment, “Unbelievable!”? And why should a writer care?
Because an agent or editor might set it side too. An author’s goal is to maintain readers’ attention and interest from the …
Who Knew for Writers
Who knew not taking time to adjust your privacy settings on social media could create a tangled mess of chaotic, unwanted, unpleasant hairball-like clogs?
Who knew that self-publishing a book is rarely a natural first step to traditional publishing?
“Was …
If All the Writing I Do Today…
If all the writing I do today is sending a note to my English teacher, does that mean it hasn’t been a good day writing?
We often set our word count goals dangerously high, challenging ourselves to push harder than …
Emotional Markers for Writers
What are emotional markers for writers?
There’s a tongue-in-cheek video circulating with the theme “Everybody should write a book.” The farcical theory is that it’s not that hard. You don’t really need skills. Anybody can do it. All authors are …
If You Build Your Audience Too Soon
What can happen if you build your audience too soon?
Nobody knows. It’s never happened in the history of writing.
Worst case scenario is you build your audience too soon:
You reach out to people, serve them with your words, …
Time for Writers to Retire
Yes. It’s time for writers to retire (cough) a few old favorite but now worn-out words, methods, habits, phrases, and punctuation marks.
“But my high school English teacher told me…”
Is your high school teacher in publishing? Makes a difference.…
Writer Office Gossip
I remember the day I gave up gossip.
For me, it was part of my spiritual journey. Every time I saw gossip in a list with murder, adultery, stealing, and other vile practices, I felt smugly “safe” from all the …
Writing from a Place of Gratitude
What if writers stopped writing from a place of inspiration and instead wrote from a place of gratitude?
As we turn the corner from a season marked by words like thanksgiving, thanks, grateful, Books & Such Literary Management doesn’t only …
Ready, Set, Send
It’s not far into childhood before we learn the “Ready, Set, Go!” game. Parents, arms extended, could simply say, “Jump!” and the toddler would happily respond. But even the rhythm and anticipation of “Ready” (not yet), “Set” (not quite), and …