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As some of you might be aware, back in June I was the writer-in-residence at a Maine writer’s retreat. I  had a ball there, no only helping others in their writing and promotion but also in having ample time to write for myself. Trust me, it’s a challenge to have all day to write. One evening’s exercise, however, was eye opening. The host gave us a setting: a hospital room. Included in that room were these items: a bed, a plastic chair, a plastic water pitcher and glass, a trash can with a liner, a window depicting mountains in the background, and a picture on the wall of a cow. At that point, each of us was instructed to take two characters we were already writing about in whatever work-in-progress we had, plant them in that setting, and write a scene. I saw, like, wowed. Which characters? How in the world would I take my beach and Carolina Lowcountry characters and put them in the mountains? For a minute or so, I was stymied. But then I did what I preach to so many, I just started writing, having chosen Slade and Wayne from my Carolina Slade Mystery Series as More

I was intrigued when I accepted a ghostwriting contract a couple of years ago, but instead of becoming Prince Harry’s secret scribe, I learned the reality is much less glamorous. Lack of variety Most clients hired a ghostwriter because they weren’t writers themselves or couldn’t devote enough time. I’ve also worked with some authors whose first language wasn’t English or who were differently abled physically or mentally, making it challenging to write a book on their own. However, the vast majority of clients were business owners who wanted to publish a book as a personal legacy or to boost their business. A book is the new business card and a way to establish or cement credibility. Book factory feel I’m a sucker for gorgeous, lyrical prose and accepted the ghostwriting contract mostly because I thought there’d be more emphasis on the craft of writing. I wanted to get away from snappy, SEO content and deeply technical (and sometimes yawn-inducing) writing. The small publisher I worked for charges clients to write, edit, design, publish, and market their books. After interviewing the author to collect content, I was expected to put together a full manuscript draft in 6 – 8 weeks. Depending on More

If you told any one in my family that I was funny, they’d laugh their heads off. I’m the one who cannot tell a joke, forgets punch lines, and has a delayed reaction to everyone else’s humor. I have been known to cross the line and pull off humor in my novels, and I’ve made audiences fill a room with laughter as a smart-aleck remark about my writing life. Don’t ask me how I do it, but sometimes it just leaks out. I know better than to count on it, though. If I think about how to present humor, it falls flat. However, there are humor writers out there, and since we rarely talk about it here, I felt I owed a few readers a list of those markets. Humor markets aren’t as common as they used to be, but there are a handful left that want your giggles and guffaws. CRACKED https://www.cracked.com/article_26097_write-cracked-get-paid-heres-how.html Pays $150 for first four articles, and $250 for every one after that. FUNNY TIMES https://funnytimes.com/about/submissions/ Pokes fun at politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion (yes, even religion) and the human condition in general. Not much is off limits. 500-700 words. More

An AI didn’t write this article, but a human did. Artificial intelligence is taking over the internet, and computers can create thousands of articles (in a single click). Let me reassure you: writers still have real jobs, and we’re all fine. Here’s why us human writers still maintain our grip on the industry. “No, Thanks.” I was surprised when a regular market hired artificial intelligence, and rejected an article of mine. A week later, another market reported that less jobs were coming in: artificial intelligence could write simple product descriptions faster. So I began pitching things that I knew artificial intelligence couldn’t write. An interview with author Dalene Matthee’s daughter, and a post about bridge’s rewritten history. These stories would need something AI wasn’t good at: human interaction. AI writes with patterns, keywords, and clickbait. Human writers are still much better. Why AI Seems Attractive I understood why artificial intelligence was attractive to the client. That markets’ budget, for personal reasons, changed overnight. The editor couldn’t devote their time or money, but wanted the site to keep running. Instead of paying writers less, they chose to pay artificial intelligence more. Cheap content created in an instant is what makes computer-writing More

Whenever I am interviewed in a podcast, phone interview, online for an article, or in person, invariably this question is asked: What advice do you have for new writers? I have several answers, and whichever pops into my head is the one I use. I’m not beiong sarcastic. I’m just saying there are so many, but my basic elementary list consists of: 1) Write every day.  I’ve seen arguments to this, and I disagree, but then, no two writers are alike. The truth is, however, that if you intend to take writing seriously, then show up to work. Delays and gaps in between only makes your writing atrophy. Then you have to warm up all over again, often rereading and rewriting material because you lost track. Also, writing daily ingrains a habit in you such that every time you sit in the chair your brain knows to start writing. And yes, it does become easier. Not that writing is easy, but getting back into it is easier when you do it daily. 2) Read ravenously. Choose books you wish you’d written. Some argue they cannot read while they are in the midst of serious writing. You cannot write all day. More

Whether you’re just beginning this journey toward publication or you’ve been on the road for what seems like forever, the last thing you want is yet another “don’t give up” speech. Maybe you’ve already grown weary of rejections and requests to revise, especially when those only result in yet another rejection. Only a few months into your writing career (or maybe longer), you don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. That’s why it’s time to give up. Everything you read tells you to keep going. In fact, all over the internet people tell you that this career is a marathon not a sprint and that giving up isn’t an option. But if you’re piling up rejections, it’s easy to wonder why you should keep going. I don’t have the answer to that, but I do know a few things I had to give up after I got my 100th rejection. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have continued writing. Giving up these things will help you keep your focus when you need it most. 1.    Give up your timetable. Many times I’ve heard “I thought I’d be published by now” or “why is it taking so long to get an agent”. More

Oh, how often I receive this question. How is mystery normally done? How are people normally self-published? How does one normally pitch an agent? How do you normally start a freelance business? These questions fly in the face of being unique and striking out on your own to create a brand, especially in the creative arts. Sure, it’s scary to venture out on a task, a mission, or a career, and not know the rules. As a freelancer, as anyone creative, however, you hear about what should be done or how others did it, but the truth is there are no hard and fast rules. Most people are saying what worked for them, not what will work for you. Those who strike out, learning as they go, making it up as they go, with their primary mission being the result, not the right journey to get there, normally make the best impact. As a novice, that concept feels frightening and quite inconvenient. You might think you’d rather spend time on the work you love versus the how-to of the business, with all of that appearing highly inconvenient. Like nobody has ever said that before. The journey needs to be inconvenient. More

There’s no shortage of drama in Hollywood these days. And I don’t mean in front of the camera. I’m referring to the drama that seems to be increasing as more shows stop filming: the Writers Guild of America strike. The WGA is the labor union representing over 15,000 writers working in entertainment. When negotiations on a new signatory contract with the AMPTP – the trade group representing major networks and studios – cratered, WGA leadership authorized a strike to begin on May 2nd, the first day after their old contract expired. The whole situation has left some scratching their heads. What’s this really about, when will it end, and does it affect me, even if I’m not in the WGA? All good questions. Let’s take each one separately. What’s the strike about? A large amount of content has migrated away from traditional networks and onto streaming platforms where old residual models are obsolete. Writers are paid every time a show airs on TV, such as through reruns or syndication, but streaming has no corresponding metrics since shows on those platforms are played at the whims of individual audience members. A WGA strike in 2007-08 was an effort to include streaming More

After nearly a decade of writing for children, I’ve learned that children’s magazines are a great way to gain money and exposure for your work. Parents and librarians still buy plenty of fodder for their hungry young readers. Perhaps this is why children’s magazines tend to pay quite well (by fiction standards) and have a large circulation. Children’s magazines come in all shapes and sizes, targeting all ages—from babies and toddlers to middle graders. Some are literary, focusing on fiction and poetry; others are educational, centered around a broad topic like science or history. Many are all-purpose, accepting fiction, nonfiction, poetry, puzzles, games—anything that might appeal to a young audience. A few worth exploring are Highlights, Cricket Media, The School Magazine , Aquila, and Fun for Kidz. These are some of the most well-paying markets I’ve found, and the most established, but new markets pop up every day. The Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is a good resource for finding new publications. It also contains many niche magazines. A quick glance at my sales reveal topics from high school theater to horse care to Baha’i religious principles. These markets tend to get fewer submissions as well, so they’re always on More

You spend hours researching your topic. Then you spend time writing a query letter and finding potential magazines to pitch. How can you write successful travel stories that will have a better sell factor to magazine editors? Use this screening technique to examine story feasibility and turn ideas into successful travel stories that get published. I use “Nine Questions Test” all the time, which helps explain why I sell 90% of all stories I pitch. 1.  Is Your Story Angle Unique? Say you want to pitch a travel story about Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. If you do an internet search of “travel articles Universal Studios Adventure Island” you’ll find hundreds of articles on this topic. It’s been beaten to death. Likewise trying to sell stories about standard cruises on popular cruise lines unless it has a huge celebrity factor, an unusual theme, or interesting port of call. Uncover fascinating and unique aspects about your destinations you don’t find in a typical online search. 2.  Does Your Story Idea Pass “The Wikipedia Test”? Ask yourself, “Does my proposed story have information that Wikipedia does not have?”  If your answer is “yes,” then you probably have a saleable travel story idea. More