It's mid-November and for those authors who signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month where authors make a commitment to write a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days), we're knee deep in novel-writing frenzy. Or, at least we're supposed to be. For authors who are on track toward achieving their goal, NaNoWriMo provides … Continue reading NaNoWriMo and Setting Realistic Goals
fiction writing
Write the Book First
Which comes first? The book or the bling? I've been stumbling across more and more writers who construct book trailers, book-based websites, book covers, and Facebook pages LONG before the first draft of their book is complete. While it is advisable to establish an author platform before you publish, how much is too much? Does … Continue reading Write the Book First
What Can Your Publisher Do For You?
Hello, it's me again. Harping on small publishers. Yes, I know I've covered much of this territory before, but after talking to a new round of unhappy authors, I thought I'd better talk about publishing again. Over the past couple of days, I've been working on formatting The Seance. I've formatted a book before, but … Continue reading What Can Your Publisher Do For You?
Setting the Mood
When we think about the phrase "setting the mood," we generally think about romance, but mood isn't just for romance novels. It's the author's job to set the mood in any novel they write. In a horror novel, the reader expects a creepy, frightening setting. In romance, the author needs to set a mood conducive … Continue reading Setting the Mood
It Takes a Village to Write a Book
Okay, so maybe it only takes an author to write a book, but it certainly takes a community of beta readers and editors to make a book publishable. A small percentage of authors say they can self-edit and publish a book without any input, but that is a very small percent. Most authors rely on … Continue reading It Takes a Village to Write a Book
All I Have to Say 