Just this week I was copied on an email from one of my clients, Jill Eileen Smith, to her publicity manager at her publishing house. They were talking about a stellar review she received on her newest book, The Ark …
My novel is about. . .
Wanna see a writer stand frozen with that deer-in-the-headlights look? Just ask them this question: “So. . . what’s your novel about?”
Here’s a list of the WRONG things to answer:
- An issue— “My novel is about global warming.”
Do Awards Really Matter?
Writers often ask, “Do awards really matter? Are some writing awards more valuable than others? Let me address those questions today.
Awards do matter for a number of reasons. Let me count some of the ways in a quick list …
Gifts for the Writer
With Christmas around the corner I thought I’d suggest some gifts for the writer in your life, gifts to suggest to others as something to get for you, or some gifts to give to yourself.
Books
We can all use …
A Brutally Honest Blog
I’m thinking it’s time for some brutal truth, but don’t fear– there will be lots of encouraging ideas toward the end.
How many of us, when telling someone the story of a life-changing challenge, have been told, “You should write …
A Dozen Best Things About Being a Writer in 2023
Too often we talk about how tough the writing world is these days. Today let me turn the tables and talk about some of the best things about being a writer today in 2023.
A Dozen Best Things About Being
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Scribbler’s Nibbles
Lately, I’ve been spending much of my free time in the kitchen. I made up my mind to lean into probiotics by making things like brined pickles and sourdough bread. I also wanted to finally master cooking fish. It’s coming …
Creating Your Own Style Sheet
I was recently talking to Brittany Stonestreet, a friend who is finishing up her Masters in Publishing at the prestigious Emerson College in Boston. She mentioned she was just completing the style sheet for her newest YA novel. I
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A Retreat to Remember
I’m still jet-lagged from my cross-country flight home from Savannah, Georgia, but the afterglow of our eighth Books & Such Retreat has not begun to ebb. What is it about spending time with those who understand what our life is …
Avoid Character Labels
I read a fiction manuscript last week that described a character as a cripple. I winced when I read the word and stopped to think about why I had such an immediate revulsion. After all, it was historical fiction and …