Category: How To and Tips
What Do You Learn When You Write A Novel?
By Barbara Josselsohn A few short months ago, I published my eighth novel, THE FORGOTTEN ITALIAN RESTAURANT, the third in my World War 2 series. It’s about two “lost” souls – Callie, a 33-year-old woman dealing with present-day grief, and Emilia, a ninety-three year old woman who has yet to come to terms with bitter […]
Writing Boys by Barbara Shoup and Kat Higgs-Coulthard
Indiana authorsWriting Boys by Barbara Shoup and Kat Higgs-Coulthard and Kat Higgs-Coulthard are longtime friends who met through their involvement in The Indiana Writers’ Center. Each has been honored by the 2012 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Foundation, with Shoup receiving the 2012 Regional Indiana Author Award and Higgs-Coulthard honored on the short-list for the 2024 Indiana […]
WILL WRITE FOR FOOD
By Christina Hamlett Over the course of 25 years, friends who broke bread at our dining room table never failed to suggest that the two of us should turn our culinary capers into a cookbook. In 2017, I took them up on the challenge and published Easy Eats and Frugal Feasts—a collection of fun recipes, […]
The Blog Tour Demystified
The Blog Tour Demystified Before I launched my debut, I understood blog tours were a thing, and…very little else about them. Two tours later, I’m a fan of this often-misunderstood marketing tool—with a few tips and caveats. Here’s a breakdown: What is it, exactly? You provide free copies of your book in exchange for a series of […]
A ‘TRUE’ STORY ABOUT INSPIRATION
by Josje Weusten ‘We shouldn’t be reading this!’ the student sitting across from me on the first row interjects before I have even properly started my introduction. The lecture I’m giving is part of an undergraduate course on the European history of the novel. Having ironed out the main kinks years ago, I am used […]
Go Team or No Team: Thoughts and Advice on Writing Collaborations
By Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne One of the biggest drawbacks of the writing life for most authors is that it’s by and large a lonely profession. Unless you count conversations with fictional people, most of an author’s career is spent alone in front of a computer . . . which is perhaps why many […]
Forgotten Stories as a Rich Source for Historical Fiction
By Imogen Matthews Readers of my historical fiction books will know that I have a passion for discovering stories about the Dutch who lived under brutal German occupation during World War 2. Over the past decade I have uncovered stories about a woodland hideout for Jews, the astonishing bravery of young boy who bravely smuggled […]
Finding Time for Writing by Janice Rostron, Author of Time Is Power: Create Space for What Matters Most
Finding the space for quiet, focused writing time can seem all but impossible in our modern lives. The world around us is busier and noisier than it ever has been before. On top of the everyday demands of our careers, homes, partners, children, family members, friends, and hobbies, we are bombarded information overload and never-ending […]
I’m No Longer Writing Heroines
By Stacey Simmons I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in writing classes, seminars, workshops, or retreats where a well-meaning instructor, professor, or writing guru has directed me to use The Hero’s Journey (THJ) to structure my story. Whether writing fiction, memoir, or non-fiction, I have been redirected to this pattern more times […]
Recipe for a Healthy Author-Editor Relationship
By Lorraine Zago Rosenthal After a book deal is signed, the next step on the path to publication is developmental editing, during which an editor gives feedback intended to strengthen the novel. The goal of every fiction editor should be to enhance an author’s writing while maintaining the author’s voice and vision. Fortunately, during the […]
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