blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
“My story’s finished, but it’s way too short for its category. What do I do now?”
Some writers have never experienced that particular brand of panic. They might well know the tremors that come from needing to …
Authors
Are Agents Prima Donnas?
As I read agents’ blogs, tweets and Facebook comments, I’ve been wondering if we’re a bunch of prima donnas. You might have noticed that we’ll often utter such directions as:
Don’t call me, don’t write me, but here are the …
The Writing Food Truck Race
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
You’re in a writing food truck race. Were you aware of that already? If you are, how’s it going? Sales good? Lines of customers waiting for your burgers? Media attention? Images of your food truck and burgers …
Find What You Control, and Take Action
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
Here are some truths:
We are in the midst of a pandemic and everything is off kilter. Publishing is going to be affected and no one is quite sure what the future looks like. Even before the …
Gardening, Writing, and Life
Blogger: Michelle Ule sitting in for Cynthia Ruchti–who is coping with snow and power issues.
I paused while gardening one day years ago, to open a letter.
“How’s your writing going?” a dear friend wrote.
Photo by Markus Spiske (Unsplash)…
The Value of Watching Bad Movies
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Hunkered down before it was mandated–due to a virus without a fancy, recognizable name–I’ve been watching a lot of free movies online. Some of them were poorly written, directed, or acted, but I kept watching. On purpose. …
Six Unexpected Essentials Every Writer Needs
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
What are six unexpected essentials every writer needs?
Keyboard Protector
Let’s start with an unessential but wildly helpful tool. The serious writer may notice that one of the bits of fallout from working hard at the craft …
The Imposter Syndrome
“I can’t really call myself a writer, I haven’t yet been published.”
“I know I’ve written seventeen books, I just hope nobody ever finds out I never finished college.”
“My book has been on the bestseller list for three months …
What Book Category Your Manuscript Fits in and Why You Should Care
Having recently decided not to represent a number of writers for the same reason, I’m reminded how important it is to know what book category or genre a manuscript belongs in. Or as we talk about it in publishing: Where …
What Book Category Your Manuscript Fits in and Why You Should CareRead More
Turning Knee-Jerks into Profitable Exercise
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Who says writers don’t exercise enough? It’s not uncommon to find a writer doing knee-jerks.
Agent hasn’t responded to writer’s query. It’s been two months. Knee-jerks:
- I don’t matter enough to that agent.
- I must not matter