Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published
Last week I posted the submission guidelines to 6 magazines. I do this on a regular basis. Why? Because writing for periodicals is one of the best ways to hone your writing skills.
Today’s guest, multi-published author Ava Pennington, has a great deal of expertise in this area and is here today to discuss 6 reasons why you should write for periodicals.
By Ava Pennington [Read more…] about Why Write for Periodicals?
While reading a book, have you ever found yourself saying There’s something wrong with that sentence, but I can’t quite figure out what?
Do you stop to figure out what’s wrong or just keep reading? I’m guilty of doing both, depending on the circumstances of the moment. Of course, if I’m editing a manuscript, I stop to figure it out.
Today, let’s take a look at what might be the problem. [Read more…] about When Effect Comes Before Cause
Writers conferences are not only great places to learn, but they are a lot of fun to attend!
I enjoy teaching at conferences as much as I enjoy attending them. That’s me in the pic above, teaching at the Called to Write Conference in Pittsburg, Kansas, this past April.
At conferences, you’ll learn about writing and the world of publishing as well as be able to present your work to agents and editors. You’ll also be able to network with other writers and make new friendships.
What book on the craft of writing has been the most helpful to you?
I recently asked that question on my Facebook author page, but no one left an answer.
So I have to wonder if I’m wasting my time with today’s post.
But maybe it was a question that required too much thought.
Or they weren’t trolling Facebook that day (after all I posted that on a Monday).
Or maybe they didn’t find any book particularly helpful. And if that’s the case, [Read more…] about 8 Books on Writing I Recommend
Do you think best-selling authors like James Patterson, J.K. Rowling, and Jerry Jenkins sit down and produce that best seller with their first draft?
For some reason, many people believe this is how it happens. But that’s a myth.
“Submitting a novel without rewriting is like playing ice hockey naked.” ~Best selling author James Scott Bell in Revision and Self-Editing for Publication
Whether you are a seat-of-the-pants writer or one who plots first, the prevailing advice in writing your first draft is [Read more…] about What Is Clean Writing?
Scrivener, Scrivener, Scrivener.
You’ve been hearing about it from a lot of writers, including me. In fact, I recently taught a workshop on using Scrivener at the Called to Write conference in Pittsburg, Kansas.
You may be wondering what’s so terrific about this software and why you should consider using it.
So let’s take a look at it. [Read more…] about Discover what’s so great about Scrivener!
Do you dream of getting published? What writer doesn’t?
But in their excitement and exuberance of completing a manuscript writers often make these 3 crippling mistakes when submitting their manuscripts to publishers.
They don’t include a book proposal.
The book proposal is [Read more…] about The Top 3 Mistakes Writers Make When Submitting and How to Fix Them
How much thought do you give to point of view (POV) as you begin a new story?
The best POV for your story is not always the protagonist or even the antagonist. Consider how different the book To Kill a Mockingbird would have been if told from Atticus’ POV. Or Gone with the Wind from Ashley’s POV.
To help you experiment, here’s a writing exercise.
[Read more…] about Discover How Point of View Impacts Your Story