Alternative Voices, a DI Frank Lyle anthology, is now available in ebook and paperback. The collection includes short stories by seven authors. Proceeds from the sale of the book go to Macmillan Cancer Support. I'm proud to have a story featured in this book. All week long, I've been featuring a different contributor on Authors … Continue reading Alternate Voices: New Release
writing
When the Lights Go Out – the Official Anthology Cover Reveal
Mark your calendar for October 1st. The Ink Slingers' Halloween Anthology is coming soon! Check out this brilliant cover by the very talented Joleene Naylor.
The Ins & Outs of Writing a Book
Excellent post and so very true! Please read the original on Susan’s blog and contribute to the conversation there.
I’ve often heard that everyone has a book inside them. I don’t know if that’s true or not. If it is, that phrase still doesn’t mean that everyone can get that book to the outside.
For most of us, a book doesn’t come to mind fully developed and needing only to be transcribed. We have to research places and things for our stories. We have to not only create the main characters and supporting characters, but also their backstories, their personalities, their wants, their needs. Then we have to give them obstacles.
Even though some writers create a full outline before they begin writing their books, they don’t usually do that in one sitting and without any effort or angst. Others might figure out where they’re starting from and where they want to end, and then discover the rest of the plot as they write. Still others know only the…
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THE ART OF SETTING BOUNDARIES (Guest Post)…
Excellent post! I agree with this 100%. Setting boundaries is an essential life skill and absolutely critical if you’re a writer.
Many positive traits have been associated with Sir Winton Churchill, among them the ability to set effective boundaries. Whenever I struggle with this essential life skill, I recall the following anecdote:
Sir Winston hired a young aide to be his gatekeeper. On the young man’s first day, Sir Winston said: “Occasionally, I like to take a brief nap to rejuvenate myself. It’s never more than fifteen or twenty minutes. While I am napping, I am not to be disturbed unless there is a crisis.”
Eager to please, the young man nodded. “Very good, sir.”
Sir Winston persisted. “No, not very good. Everyone who comes to you will say they have a potential crisis and I must be awakened. To avoid any confusion, I will tell you what I consider to be a crisis. It is an armed invasion of the British Isles. Anything less than that can wait.”
No other…
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Beware the Experts
Experts. They're everywhere. Self-publishing experts, social media experts, writing experts... the list goes on and on. How can you tell if someone is an expert in their field? Anyone can claim to be an expert. Not everyone who claims to be an expert is an expert. They lack credentials, experience, and sometimes integrity. They sell … Continue reading Beware the Experts
All I Have to Say 