I wish I could say I’ve never submitted any of my work before it was ready to publish. In truth, I’ve done it more often than I care to admit, especially in my early days of publishing. Some “too soon” submission, or even “too soon” publishing, is unavoidable, and perhaps even necessary to a writer’s […]
Deb: Ready to Publish Read More »
One reason first pages matter: the “look inside” feature No matter how you publish, first pages are crucial. From reading the first five to ten pages (sometimes even your first page or two), your readers—including agents and editors, if you’re going that route—are going to decide whether your book is worth their time, money, and
Deb: Your Book’s First Pages – Why They Matter, and a Critique Opportunity Read More »
Linda Ketchum and I have been working all month on our transition in the executive director position here at 49 Writers. Linda’s worked diligently to orient me to the responsibilities of the job and the incredible amount of work she does behind the scenes. I’m trying to keep up and keep track of the details.
Weekly Round Up of News and Events Read More »
Wondering how to make the characters in your story “developed” or real? Then start with reality. The reality is that we as humans have deep seated needs, wants, and often hidden desires. So too must our characters if they are to somehow come to life on the page and become important and memorable to our
Don Rearden: Creating Complex and Conflicted Characters Read More »
Whenever I hear the latest update on the ebola outbreak, I think of Don Rearden. I can’t help it. In his novel The Raven’s Gift, he wrote about the devastation brought on by a deadly disease that spins out of control. Sure, his book is fiction, and at that time he wrote it, he was
Deb: Life into Story Read More »
Memoir is a true story that unfolds in scenes with characters, dialogue and a reliable narrator who sets up the story and directs the readers’ way. A well-written memoir provides a glimpse into the author’s unique experience and offers an opportunity for readers to shift their own world view. As good as it is to
Judith Conte: Memoir Matters Read More »
“Language can do what it can’t say.” – William Stafford “Somehow I too must find a way of making things; not plastic, written things, but realities that arise from the craft itself.” – Rilke, in a letter to Lou Salome (August, 10, 1903) I haven’t been at it very long, and it’s not a career,
Jonathan Bower: But does it Sing? Read More »
They say 80 percent of those who read books also have at least one book they’d like to write. And I agree with David Henry Sterry, who wrote in a HuffPo blog post that “a staggering number” of those would-be authors want to write books for young readers. Some aspiring children’s book authors are parents
Write a Better Children’s Book (and while we’re at it, an invitation) Read More »
A few weeks ago I drove a friend, Loggerhead, from Healy to his dry cabin on the south side of Denali Park. I think he earned the nickname when he worked in Everglades decades ago. I met him more than ten years ago when we both worked for the concessionaire that provides bus transportation into
Douglass Bourne: Hookers, Place, and Writing Workshop Read More »
Publishing has never been easy. First, there’s writing the beast, be it a poem or a story or an essay or an entire book. A large accomplishment, pouring yourself onto the page. Let’s not lose sight of that. From there, it used to be that f you wanted readers, you had to find a way
Deb: The Way in – Where to Publish? Read More »
