Read and Reread
“For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.” Eudora Welty, On Writing I just did something I haven’t done in years. I read two novels in the span of two weeks. Joy! I fussed and…
10 Ways to Paint a Portrait With Words
I often struggle with describing my characters. Right now, I’m banging my head against a wall trying to describe a teenage boy who has visions as more than a blond hunk. This is all the more frustrating because my mother…
Friday Feast: Breaking Up With Your Book, Writing for 21st Century Teens, Innovative Writers, Book Technology, and Why Some Authors Are Assholes
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. That’s the focus of the links this week, including changes to a common metaphor writers use to describe the writing process, depictions of 21st century teens in young adult books, storytelling methods of innovative authors, and the reading habits…
When Not to Query, and Other Advice
A funny thing happens when you finish your manuscript and you are ready to begin your search for representation. Suddenly you are required to make the giant leap from artist to businessperson—someone who can write a sharp query letter and…
Friday Feast: Fellow Author Book Reviews, First Book Tour Calamities, That $3.4 M Deal, How to Be an Unpublished Author, and Bookish Cakes
Most writers would rather run naked through the streets than talk about money (unless it’s a lack thereof) or their *real* feelings regarding the ups and downs of the writing and publishing life. Bless those writers who confess their true…
Surprise: You’re Writing a Series!
I never thought I’d write a series. After my first book came out I had a few people ask, “Will you write a sequel?” My look of horror might’ve been puzzling. My “God, no!” was less ambiguous. Don’t get me…