Category: How To and Tips
INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING: OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Independent publishing, as opposed to commercial pushing (think Random House), is a terrific option for authors whose books don’t fit a literary agent’s idea of “saleable.” Authors of short story or essay collections, flash fiction, poetry, hybrid work and off-the-beaten-path novels very often seek out independent presses for possible publication, and they are right to […]
How I Created My Own Audiobook
I may be the only author I know who had her audiobook recorded, produced and ready to go six months before publication. Why so early? I was still in the revision stage of my memoir, Crash: How I Became a Reluctant Caregiver, and there was a risk of changes to my manuscript not being reflected […]
When Past and Present Collide: Novels with Dual-Timeline Narratives
When past and present collide: Novels with dual-timeline narratives by Ann Gosslin In life – and in fiction – I’ve long been intrigued by the effect of a difficult or traumatic childhood on an individual’s psyche and sense of self. It should come as no surprise that I am drawn not only to character-driven novels, […]
“I WRITE BOOKS, SO I CAN’T LOG OFF” 6 Don’ts for Authors on Social Media
“I WRITE BOOKS, SO I CAN’T LOG OFF” 6 Don’ts for Authors on Social Media Hands up if you are a sensitive introvert who, on a daily basis, composes and backspaces unpublished social media posts, overthinks all comments, or simply goes blank when it comes to “curating content.” Let’s not even mention the sting when […]
The Story Beneath the Story: Excavating the Real Truth in Memoir
For the past 50 years, I’ve been dedicated to excavating and exploring the truth in writing, whether it be in my own journals, while leading writing students in a sacred circle, or in the pages of my non-fiction books—on topics ranging from healing sexual abuse to reconciliation to parenting. But it wasn’t until I tackled […]
Travel Helped Me Become a Writer – And Fulfilled a Prediction
When I was about eight and living with my parents, grandparents and two siblings in Miami Beach in a two-bedroom bungalow with Cuban tile floors, my father played the horses. I never knew if he would come back from the track smiling or ready to spank me for getting in his way. I was a […]
Stuck in the Squishy Middle
This blog series, Unstuck, explores some of the ways fiction writers find themselves stuck and offers tips from successful writers for getting unstuck. Unstuck is a six-month series published the first Monday of the month. Read the previous installments: WRITING THE BEGINNING OVER AND OVER UNSTUCK Stuck in the Squishy Middle By Martha Conway We’ve all been there: […]
Writing Laid Bare: What The Business Leader Learnt From the Stripper
Trusting the signs When a third friend in a row mentioned in spring 2019 that I should write a book or that I’ll be a writer, I actually gave it a thought. I’d always enjoyed writing but haven’t ever been involved in a major writing project past postgraduate course. I knew my creativity was going […]
When do you Know the Story is Complete? Randy Kraft
When do you know the story is complete? Randy Kraft I was asked recently a question from an aspiring writer: how do you know when the book ends? The mutual friend serving as messenger was also curious because she is often disappointed by endings that seem rushed or implausible. Or writers who drop another layer […]
Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?
Jenni Keer As an author, one question I get asked often is “where do you get your ideas from?”. This can be friends wondering how I came up with the plot for my latest book, curious audiences at author talks, or even aspiring writers struggling with where to start their first novel. They want to […]
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