Tag Archives: career authors

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, we start strong right out of the gate with Gabino Iglesias and ten types of authors who, let’s just say, he doesn’t like.

Anne R. Allen advises us on how to prepare for life after death on social media, while Hank Phillippi Ryan, Brian Andrews, and Meg Dowell offer tips on writing—and surviving—during the pandemic.

Jami Gold reviews the concept of Scene and Sequel, the folks at Now Novel wax lyrical about crafting captivating prose, and Callie Sutcliffe differentiates between creating a new draft of your work versus editing.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Ten Types of Authors Who Can Go F*ck Themselves by Gabino Iglesias

Don’t Become a Social Media Ghost: Appoint a Social Media Executor by Anne R. Allen

Getting Your Writer Brain Back on Track by Hank Phillippi Ryan

A Submariner’s Guide to Crisis and Isolation by Brian Andrews

12 Tips for Writing When You’re Not Calm and the World is Burning by Meg Dowell

Scenes & Sequels: Adding Reflections for Meaning by Jami Gold

Can Comic Books Survive the Coronavirus Era? by Dave Itzkoff

Using Letters in Creative Work—What Writers Should Know About Copyright Protection by Matt Knight

The Practice Novel by Dave King

First Draft, Second Draft, or Editing: How to Know What Draft You’re On by Callie Sutcliffe

Lyrical Writing: 5 Tips for Crafting Richer Prose by Now Novel

 

 

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Christopher Cybusz explains what it means to write SF today. Lynn Steger Strong ponders whether you can afford to be a writer without the help of other people’s money while Anne R. Allen cites idiotic advice offered to new writers.

Joslyn Chase and Gabriel Valjean discuss, respectively, five writing rules and styles to learn… before you attempt to break them. Jami Gold reminds us that just as we were helped by mentors or other resources in our writing journey, we should take the time to pay it forward.

Over at the Write Practice, Joe Bunting defines the inciting incident and the denouement and provides examples of each. Oh, and Simon & Schuster is up for sale if anyone has a few bucks to spare.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How to Write Science Fiction by Christopher Cybusz

Local Bookstores Have a New Weapon in the Fight with Amazon by Joan Verdon

A Dirty Secret: You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It by Lynn Steger Strong

Clueless Advice People Give New Writers: 10 Things to Ignore by Anne R. Allen

Five Writing Crimes and How to Get Away With Them by Gabriel Valjean

Five Writing Style Tips to Make Your Writing Stronger by Joslyn Chase

How Can Writers Pay It Forward? by Jami Gold

Simon & Schuster is Up for Sale by Edmund Lee and Alexandra Alter

Denouement: Definition and Examples of the Literary Term by Joe Bunting

Inciting Incident: Definition, Examples, Types, and How to Start a Story Right by Joe Bunting

Power Up Your Prose with Rhetorical Devices by Suzanne Purvis via Janice Hardy

 

 

 

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Harrison Demchick delivers a comprehensive four-part series on Point of View.* Over at Mythcreants, Chris Winkle talks specifically about omniscient narration and Anthony Ehlers at Writer Write touches on ways to spice up your writing by changing POV.

(*Mr. Demchick will be a guest at The Write Stuff writers conference in March in Bethlehem, PA!)

Anne R. Allen offers advice on writing your final chapter while Peter Selgin warns against wasting the first one. James Scott Bell encourages us to find the one thing at the heart of your novel.

Matthew V. Clemens sites one of my all-time favorite films as the apotheosis of suspense—which is precisely what Allison Brennan discusses in her article about pacing.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

How to Write Better Fiction Using Limited Point of View by Harrison Demchick

How to Choose the Best Point of View for Your Story’s Purpose by Harrison Demchick

How to Rely on the Unreliable Narrator by Harrison Demchick

How to Exploit Uncommon Points of View in Your Novel by Harrison Demchick

Writing Your Final Chapter: 6 Do’s and Don’ts for Bringing Your Novel to a Satisfying Conclusion by Anne R. Allen

Secrets of Suspense: What I Learned from JAWS by Matthew V. Clemens

Pacing: The Key to Scintillating Suspense by Allison Brennan

What One Thing is Your Novel About? by James Scott Bell

Five Essentials of Omniscient Narration by Chris Winkle

Taxes and the Writer—The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 by Matt Knight

Fiction Contests Worth Your Time in Winter 2019 by Arthur Klepchukov

When Your Story Opening Does Nothing but Blow Smoke by Peter Selgin via Jane Friedman

Revive Dull Descriptions with Simple Tweaks in Viewpoint by Anthony Ehlers

How Do You Find the Plot of a Story? Using Scenarios by Now Novel

A Home Library Can Have a Powerful Effect on Children by Robby Berman

Articles, Blog, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Lamb delves into the traits of a perfect villain and reminds us of the importance of story mastery above all else. Anne R. Allen offers advice on writing that challenging first chapter while Marie Eberle would like to see less of certain hackneyed character types in SF and Fantasy.

It’s a foregone conclusion that conflict is the heart of storytelling, but what about conflict management? L. Deborah Sword discusses.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Jim Dempsey encourages us to delve into our characters’ values to find their ultimate motivation, and speaking of characters, Donald Maass suggests examining psychological archetypes as a means for crafting character arcs.

If you’re struggling to build a readership, there may be a good reason for that. In fact, as Shannon Ashley reveals, there might be at least twelve reasons.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

On Writing: Why Mastery Should Matter To the Serious Author by Kristen Lamb

The Villain: Crafting Scoundrels, Sinners, and Substance of Legends by Kristen Lamb

Finding and Using Competing Book Titles in Your Book Marketing by Penny Sansevieri

Writing that First Chapter: 10 Dos and Don’ts for Starting a Novel by Anne R. Allen

Avoid these Crutch Words by Dana Isaacson

Story Conflict: It’s Not as Simple as We Think by L. Deborah Sword via Jami Gold

Nine Ways for Your Hero to Earn the Clues They Need by Chris Winkle

The Two Types of Archetype by Donald Maass

What Really Drives Your Characters? by Jim Dempsey

12 Reasons Nobody Wants to Read Your Writing by Shannon Ashley

3 Types of Fantasy and Sci-Fi Characters We’ve Seen Enough Of by Marie Eberle

What is a Vignette & How Do I Write One? by Amanda Patterson

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Lamb ponders the importance of talent while Chris Syme offers a primer on preserving your authorial reputation in a crisis.

Kris Kennedy concludes her five-part series on avoiding the nefarious info-dump and Jordan Dane defines narrative drive.

Over at Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass analyzes what makes a true hero or heroine while Heather Webb provides tips on writing an effective query letter.

The New York Times reminds us that fact-checking is everyone’s responsibility and Kickstarter finds itself embroiled in a labor dispute.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Do Some People Lack the Talent to be a Successful Author? by Kristen Lamb

The Five Myths of Crisis Management for Authors by Chris Syme via Anne R. Allen

Pitfalls and Solutions for Writing a Science Thriller by Amy Rogers

Backstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making it Essential-Part Four and Part Five by Kris Kennedy via Jami Gold

Narrative Drive—Do You Have It? by Jordan Dane

Rookie Mistakes Indie Writers Make by James Scott Bell

It’s a Fact: Mistakes are Embarrassing the Publishing Industry by Alexandra Alter

The Making of a Hero or Heroine by Donald Maass

Writing the Query Letter: Dos and Don’ts by Heather Webb

How to Market a Book: 10 First Steps by Joe Bunting

Is There a Labor War Brewing Inside of Kickstarter? by Tobias Carroll

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

2 Comments

This week, Ruth Harris lays solid groundwork when it comes to cliffhangers and David Safford reinforces the concept of the hero’s journey.

Mary Anna Evans helps us find our author voice while Nancy Bilyeau provides tips on crafting believable historical fiction. Struggling to avoid those ugly info dumps? Let Kris Kennedy show you how to adroitly divulge all those details you’re dying to share with the reader.

Although writers must develop a thick skin when it comes to receiving criticism, we’re often called upon to give it as well. PJ Parrish and Jim Dempsey discuss constructive methods for offering valuable and relevant critiques.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How to Write a Page-Turner: Master the Seven Rules of the Cliffhanger by Ruth Harris

The Hero’s Journey: How to Write the Crossing the Threshold Scene by David Safford

How to Find Your Author Voice by Mary Anna Evans

4 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction by Nancy Bilyeau

How Can We Make Scenes Feel Stronger with Sequels? by Jami Gold

Backstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making it Essential Part One / Part Two / Part Three by Kris Kennedy via Jami Gold

The Fine Art of Giving Out Criticism by PJ Parrish

How to Give Useful Criticism by Jim Dempey

Seven Tips for a Satisfying Mystery by Oren Ashkenazi

Advice to Writers Who Are In It by Annie Neugebauer