I recently had a brief email exchange with Janet Lane on a blog entry she was writing on the topic of book marketing, a topic that I hate. On later reflection I decided to add my own thoughts to hers, which you’ve no doubt read, precisely because I hate the topic so much. (Janet: Forgive…
Category: General Interest
Not Yet … by Rebecca Hopkins
Her head covering was purple and she’s from an ancient Indonesian Muslim ethnic group. My pants were stained with ink marks and I’m American, now living in Indonesia. She’s pursuing journalism. Fiction writing for me. We were two writers sitting next to each other in the airport as we both waited for our connections to…
What “Starts with Action” Really Means
Writers are often advised to start their stories in medias res, or in the middle of action. This is pretty good advice—if you know what it means and how to make it work in your story! First, though, let’s look at what it doesn’t mean. Some writers hear this advice and take action to mean…
5 Important Things To Know About Self-Publishing–Part 1 … by Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Self-publishing (or indie publishing) is a big deal this days, as more and more authors use it exclusively or to supplement their traditional publishing catalog. But while self-publishing can be surprisingly fast and easy – one could take a Word document to retail ebook in about three minutes, if pressed – it’s definitely not a…
Word Economics 101
As my critique partners can attest, I’m a big proponent of what we call word economy. Not a technical term, exactly, but here’s my definition: using only as many words as the story needs. Of course, every story has different needs. Some need a clipped, concise writing style, while others need a more flowery voice….