As part of my job maintaining the adult fiction collection for the local public library, I have to weed books. I know it sounds awful—getting rid of books—but we have limited space, so it has to be done. I’ve been weeding the collection for a long time, removing books that are damaged or worn out…
Category: Blog
Research status? Confusing, cluttered, and chaotic!
Research, both noun and verb, means to investigate for facts—explore, analyze, delve into. But what’s next? I overheard an author, I think Susan Spann, say that by writing a rough draft first, she then knew what research she needed. A quarter of the way through self-editing my final draft, I tested Ms. Spann’s idea. By…
The Element of Surprise
I recently started a new project at my day job, with a new team of coworkers. Naturally, the writer in me began studying these people in search of writing fodder. After just a few interactions, I could paint a picture of my colleagues’ personalities in broad strokes. Character A: confident and self-assured. Character B: easygoing…
Pitching: It’s not just for baseball!
Every writer hears about pitching, especially when it comes to conferences and events like Colorado Gold, where agents and editors will be taking pitch appointments. I believe writers need to have two kinds of pitches: one for those all-important “professional” pitch opportunities, and one I consider a “networking” pitch. A networking pitch is similar in…
Conference 411: Part 3
Hurry, save $50! Registration is open for the 2019 Colorado Gold Conference. If you haven’t yet registered, get to it—you’ll be so glad you did! One reason: the conference price goes up by $50 on July 31. Beat that date and save. If you’re already registered, welcome! This year’s conference has a powerful lineup of literary…