Today is the start of Holy Week. I think it’s an important time to talk about sacrificial gifts. Here is a blog I wrote five years ago. I can’t think of a more fitting one for this week. 
Many years …
publishing
Minimize the Obstacles to Publication
Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
When you’re a debut author trying to break in to traditional publishing, one of the most important things to remember is this:
Minimize the obstacles.
You already know it’s not going to be easy to break in, …
Great Expectations for Writers
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
A simple two-word phrase–great expectations–has maintained a steadfast and recognizable connection to one literary work first published 160 years ago. What else could come to mind when we hear those two words together but Charles’ Dickens’s highly …
Hoops Jumping for Writers: Another Perspective
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
This was initially posted a couple of years ago, but it’s as evergreen a topic as a Christmas tree. We hear the resistance to “hoops” almost every day in the publishing world. Maybe this will strike you–as …
Publishing’s Tripping Hazards
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Last year, my husband broke three ribs. A reasonably coordinated man, he tripped on an uneven piece of pavement and fell hard. Broken ribs take an extraordinarily long time to heal. Small fall; big consequences.
It can …
Are you a flexible or focused writer? Or both?
Blogger: Rachel Kent
At Books & Such, we love all types of writers. But today, I’d like to tell you about two specific types. Each one has its pros and cons.
The first is The Flexible Writer.
The Flexible …
Lies Writers Believe
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
The most common lie is that which one lies to himself. –Friedrich Nietzsche
Writers–fiction or nonfiction–are billed as truth-tellers. But they often lie to themselves. The lies writers believe are so commonplace that those who have been …
The Case for the Book Proposal
Last week, Janet Grant wrote about the importance of writing an excellent comparative book section in your book proposal. You can find that post here. Those kind of specifics are invaluable.
But I can almost hear the collective writerly …
Acting and Writing
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Acting is a unique artform, but it’s also a vital skill for writers.
Accomplished actors become the characters they’re tasked to portray. They “crawl into the skin” of the hero, heroine, villain. Actors often talk about enjoying …
Seven Deadly Sins and the Writer
Blogger: Michelle Ule
Sitting in for Wendy Lawton, whom I hope is no longer waiting for a plane in Duluth . . .
What are the seven deadly sins for a writer?
The usual ones:
- Lust
- Gluttony
- Greed
- Sloth
- Wrath