A few of my clients who travel the ‘real’ traditional publishing road have attended writer’s conferences, or are thinking of attending one. Well, Carolyn Howard-Johnson has a great article that helps writers choose the perfect one. Every writer thinking of attending a writing conference should read it. CHOOSING THE PERFECT WRITER’S CONFERENCE Guest Post by…
Tag: writing tips
16 Reasons Why You Should Publish a Book
Carolyn Howard-Johnson Author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers There are naysayers enough to fill every dark crevice in your defense against negativity. When people telling you not to publish a book (no, I won’t list all the reasons they will give you), here is a list for you to check…
Are You Determined to Be a Writer?
“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you!” ~ Zig Ziglar Cambridge Dictionary defines determination as, “the ability to continue trying to do something, although it’s very difficult. Cambridge Macmillian Dictionary defines it as, “the refusal to let anything prevent…
Journaling is a Writer’s Best Friend
Guest post by Debra Eckerling Whenever someone asks me how to get unstuck – and believe me, I get this question a lot – my immediate response is journaling. Whenever someone asks me how to improve their writing, I tell them to start journaling. Whenever someone asks me how to develop a new idea, I…
5 Basic Functions of Dialogue
In an article over at Writer’s Digest, the author explained that ‘real’ dialogue doesn’t spell everything out. So, what does this mean? Well, people communicate with more than just words and often there’s a lot left unsaid in a conversation. Narration or the protagonist’s thoughts can fill in the blanks. Here’s an example from “Crispin…
Overcome Your Writing Distractions
Guest post by Melinda Brasher I recently went to a class conducted by writers Amy K. Nichols and Joe Nassise. They talked about writing in the age of distraction (squirrel writing, they called it). It was very helpful, so I’m going to pass on some of the ideas I found most useful. -Know your triggers….
Writing – Words to Live By
In a world littered with half-truths and lies, these are words to live by in your words and in your writing: Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself, “Is it true?’ At the second gate, ask, “Is it necessary?” At the third gate, ask, “Is it…
10 Tips to Writing a Query Letter
I have a client who is heading down the traditional publishing road. Since one of the most important elements of this process is the query letter, I have some tips on what to do and what to include. 1. Before you even think of writing your query letter, make sure you have a good story….
Traditional Publishing – 4 Advantages to Consider
While most everyone is hitting the self-publishing road, including most of my clients, there are some authors who yearn to be published through a publishing house. Before I go on though, let me clarify what traditional publishing is as I just had a query from a new author who wasn’t sure about it. Basically, traditional…
How to Write Better Endings to Your Stories
Contributed by team member, Suzanne Lieurance Many writers have trouble coming up with the perfect ending for a story. And the perfect ending is really important because it is often the ending of a story that people remember most. That’s because a good ending ties everything together and leaves the reader feeling satisfied. To write…