Scrolling through my Feedly feed yesterday, I came to Copyblogger’s interview with bestselling author Hugh Howey, who wrote and self-published Wool. It was a Q-and-A, and one question in particular caught my eye: Do you believe in “writer’s block”? If so, how do you avoid it? Howey’s answer: “Other people say it happens, and I don’t […]
My first Desert Dreams Conference won’t be my last. It’s over now, and I just settled into my favorite spot at the Starbucks in Camp Verde (near the outlet, naturally). The plan is to sneak in a little writing time before I crash. Am I nuts? Why not skip the attempt to work and crash right […]
Let’s get something straight: I might not be the best choice to talk about time management. As I sat preparing the remarks about time management I was supposed to deliver — less than 12 hours before I was set to deliver them — I certainly felt like a fraud. Then I remembered there’s a lot […]
If your mother was anything like mine, she dispensed tons of advice: Sit up straight … Don’t go outside with a wet head or you’ll catch a cold … and NEVER stop at a rest area after dark. Well, I slouch all the time, frequently go out with wet hair and recently stopped at Sunset […]
No, not IT it. But I just found out I’ve been taking the wrong approach to query writing. A friend and I recently exchanged query letters. Keep in mind that I’ve written my share of queries — and have read more than my fair share of advice on how to write a great one. But […]
A couple of months ago, I wrote an article for my RWA chapter newsletter about the Do’s and Don’ts of Setting Writing Goals. I thought I could use a refresher course before I craft some very attainable goals for the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival. So how does one do it? How do you […]
Every few months, it wallops me upside the head. What is it, you ask? Nothing good, that’s for sure. It’s the fear that, even after years of writing — and getting a degree in journalism, I still don’t have a clue what I’m doing. The familiar foe hit me again this weekend. My local RWA […]
It always amazes me how attending my RWA chapter meeting recharges my creative battery. Sure, it means a long day for me. I usually don’t get to bed until at least 2 a.m., and I’m up before 8 on meeting day. We meet from 10:30-ish to 2 p.m. and drive an hour and a half […]
Over at the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood, my writing blog home away from home, I read a fantastic post the other day. It was all about what editors want from a category romance. After reading it, I wonder if Brad and Erin’s story is as ready as I thought. I break nearly all of the guidelines: […]
I recently discovered the blog of Nathan Bransford — Literary Agent. He’s both witty and wise … and rumor has it that he responds almost immediately to queries, whether he wants to see more or not. I’ve yet to test that myself because I haven’t quite perfected my query for “Blind Date Bride” and he […]
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