Tag Archives: pro writing

How Often Should You Publish a Book?

Or perhaps the real question is, how often should you self publish a book?  If you’re like me, you use to think of book releases as these nebulous, once-in-a-blue-moon happenings (when the stars aligned and the book publishers were feeling frisky).  But now, if you’re a self published author, you are only constrained by how fastContinue reading “How Often Should You Publish a Book?”

The Novelist’s To-Do List for Greatness

Today I finished the first draft of my third novel, ‘Fall Street’ (claps on the back, applause, and confetti here).  Now, the more times I do this the easier it gets, but I still remember being a nervous newbie who couldn’t imagine writing a whole book.   So with that in mind, here’s my very simpleContinue reading “The Novelist’s To-Do List for Greatness”

Follow Me and I’ll Follow You: Social Media and Self Promotion

Great post from Rob White.  The idea of seeing people as ‘dollar signs with arms and legs’ is exactly what I don’t like about online promotion. But I think there is a better, classier way to connect with readers and I think Rob’s showing us the way —   Follow Me and I’ll Follow You:Continue reading “Follow Me and I’ll Follow You: Social Media and Self Promotion”

Female Characters — Why God, Why Is It So Hard?

I am a woman.  I have an amazing sister who’s a woman.  My mother was one of my biggest influences.  I believe women can do anything and people are a lot more alike than they are different. SO, WHY ARE FEMALE CHARACTERS STILL SUCH A CHALLENGE TO WRITE? I’ve thought a lot about this questionContinue reading “Female Characters — Why God, Why Is It So Hard?”

How to Make Your Characters Come Alive

I love everything about writing.  I love words, I love plots, but above all — I love characters. Now, the picture above may be cheating a little bit, because some (or most) of the characters on Deadwood were based on real people.  But that doesn’t matter.  I defy you to find a more well-rounded, intriguing,Continue reading “How to Make Your Characters Come Alive”

The Five Fucking Reasons You’d Better Live Your Dreams

There’s a line I love from Eulogy by Frank Turner.  It’s about going after your big dream.  The song is only 1:35 but it builds to a great point — Well I haven’t always been a perfect person And I haven’t done what Mum and Dad had dreamed But on the day I die I’llContinue reading “The Five Fucking Reasons You’d Better Live Your Dreams”

AMAZON DESCRIPTIONS FOR YOUR NOVEL (PART THREE OF THREE)

Now we come to the tricky part — actually writing a good description.  I say ‘good’ because I think some writers do themselves harm by either spending months on it, or giving up and calling a half-done description ‘good enough’.  I picked five Amazon listings sort of at random, ones that I thought were quiteContinue reading “AMAZON DESCRIPTIONS FOR YOUR NOVEL (PART THREE OF THREE)”

AMAZON DESCRIPTIONS FOR YOUR NOVEL (PART TWO OF THREE)

Descriptions are IMPOSSIBLE! Now that isn’t a very positive outlook to have, but any author who’s tried to cram a 150,000 word novel that took five years and a thousand day dreams to produce down into a 250 word query letter or an Amazon description has probably had that thought at least once.  Now, beforeContinue reading “AMAZON DESCRIPTIONS FOR YOUR NOVEL (PART TWO OF THREE)”