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I’m someone who does not believe in writer’s block. However, I have to admit that everyone, sooner or later, is touched by Imposter Syndrome. For those unfamiliar, it’s when you believe you cannot write up to the standard to be taken seriously, you feel you cannot fulfill a task, or you feel like a fraud. […]

In having coffee with a local writer, we started talking contests. She has a goal of entering one per month with her works in progress. She writes mainstream and romance, so she has to select contests open to other than literary fiction (which makes up a lot of contests). She’d heard me say that I […]

Whether you write poetry, nonfiction, gardening books or novels, writing book reviews is an excellent way to expand your writing practice and your publication credits. The task sharpens your skills, deepens the reading experience, and helps support the writers’ community. The niche also separates you from the crowd: literary journals are besieged with poems and […]

I am a fan of The Marginalian newsletter/website, aka Maria Popova. She is insanely well-read and looks at humanity through the lens of many classic creatives. Recently she wrote on normalcy. . . and its affiliation with rejection, or in the case of those frequently rejected and distraught, breakdown. https://www.themarginalian.org/2021/10/13/alain-de-botton-normalcy-breakdown/ The world comes at us with […]

According to a 2022 article in Publishers Weekly, “shivery tales are proliferating.” Middle grade horror stories are having a moment, and for good reason. These books can do both things a great kids book sets out to do: entertain and enlighten. Horror stories keep kids engaged and turning the page. R.L. Stein, the king of middle grade […]

Well known mystery/suspense author Lee Goldberg received a call recently from a gentleman professing to be with a literary agency. He and his organization would assist him in getting his book promoted at the Los Angeles Festival of Books. Mr. Goldberg recorded the conversation and you’ll enjoy listening to this renown traditionally published author mess […]

Congratulations on your endeavors, authors. You are part of an elite group of caring individuals. You care for your words, characters, worlds, and subjects. Yet, caring for your computers? Not so much. I read too many complaints in writing groups that go something like this: “My computer is slower than a sloth working a fast-food […]

Last week, in mentioning my hardline distain for AI in the creative universe, someone labeled me naïve in thinking AI wasn’t here to stay, mentioning technology. Admittedly, AI already has been in existence for a few years in that department, but now it’s crossing into creativity, and that’s utterly insulting. In my not-so-humble opinion. it […]

We all want to write that perfect script. One that will blow the reader’s mind and convince a producer to shovel copious amounts of money into our creation (but only once the strike finishes, of course). Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done, as the majority of screenplays fall well short of perfection. I’ve […]

When we start anything in our lives, we stumble through it. Yet, for some reason, we don’t want people to know that we are stumbling. In fact, everyone in the world is stumbling through their lives, because the only way to grow is to proceed through trial and error, and you know what? We haven’t […]

Writers who know the nuances of WordPress can manage their own websites better — and be of more help to their clients by mastering WordPress as an extra skill. WordPress.com and .org As much as 40% or more of the internet uses WordPress to post blogs, manage websites, and create content. Learn this skill, and you can […]

As I tried to explain last week, pitches must be smart and cater to the needs of the editor and their publication first and foremost. Again, in my researching markets, I came across a guidelines page with great advice. Climate Change News posts detailed and informative guidelines at https://www.climatechangenews.com/write-for-us. In your pitch, explain: What is new? Whether your […]