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Do you keep submitting your story, think it’s perfect but it keeps getting rejected? If only editors would give us some clue as to why they didn’t think it was a great fit for their publishing line up. Unfortunately, few editors will offer more than not right for us on the standard rejection form. Help…
Hello fellow authors. Yes, it’s been a long time since I posted a blog on this site. I’ve been busy with projects and I’ve been doing lots of summer reading. Which brings me to one of the topics for this post. I’m thinking about adding book reviews. Not just a regular book review but one…
It’s Wednesday and that means, it’s Guest Author Day. This week it’s M.S. Spencer… This Writer’s Life-(TWL)-Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing and your books. about yourself, your writing and your books. Hello, my name is M. S. Spencer. Although…
It’s time for another guest author spot and for this Wednesday it’s Joan Ramirez. I decided to become an author at the age of 9. My first article appeared in a local newspaper and the writing bug bit me but it would be many decades before I published my first short story, Howie the Frog…
It’s Wednesday and it’s time for another guest author and please J. Arlene Culiner. TWL-What’s a typical writing session like for you? Do I have a typical writing session? I don’t think so. It all depends on what else is going on (far too much, generally). It also depends on whether I’m pulling together what…
It’s Wednesday and that means it’s guest author time. Please welcome Jill Piscitello. This Writer’s Life-(TWL)-Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing and your books. First, thank you so much for hosting me today. I’ve been writing since I could hold…
Time for another Wednesday guest and this week, it’s Kayelle Allen…. TWL-Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing, and your books. Thank you for inviting me. I’m Kayelle Allen and I write stories with immortal gamers, misbehaving robots, and warriors who…
It’s Wednesday so that means it’s guest author time. This week, please say hello to J. Arlene Culiner. Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing and your books. I was raised in Toronto, but I’ve lived in many countries, most…
According to some of my students, writing a story is the easy part. Marketing, (also known as selling your books), is the tough part. Help is on its way in the form of an online event which I’m pleased to share with you. Book Profits Accelerator LIVE! This is a 3-day live virtual event where…
Romance novels… One of the best-selling genres with an often built in readership. Have you thought about writing one? Maybe you’ve written one but keep getting rejection letters. Worry no more, I’ve just revamped and re-released my 12 lesson, self-paced How to Write Your First Romance workshop. It never expires and you can read the…
Time to promote my March classes that I’ll be teaching over at OIWI. The lessons are delivered to your e-mail and you don’t need to be present at any given day and time. They are both 2 weeks long and they compliment one so registering for both would be ideal. Here are the full descriptions…
It’s time for our Wednesday guest author spot and this week say hello to Sierra Brave. This Writer’s Life-(TWL)-Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing and your books. Sierra Brave (SB)-Hello, I’m Sierra Brave. I call myself a semi-retired romance author….
This week’s guest is D.V Stone… This Writer’s Life-(TWL)-Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing and your books. D.V.Stone (DVS)-Hi! First, thank you for sharing your space with me. I love talking about writing and books, so I’m excited to be…
I’m slowly updating all my writing workbooks and classes and I just finished with the Plotting Your First Romance Novel workbook. If you’re an aspiring romance writer, maybe can’t figure out the plot, or just need some extra help, I think you’ll enjoy this workbook and will find it useful. I like to think of…
Please say hello to today’s guest author and it’s Anner Fowler- This Writer’s Life-(TWL)-Welcome to the Wednesday blog, happy to have you join us today. Introduce yourself and tell us about yourself, your writing and your books. Anne Fowler (AF)- I was born and raised in Toronto I grew up an only child in a…
Are you scratching your head trying to figure out how to plot your novel? It’s a common struggle with the majority of my students. So common that I decided to create a workbook to help them. Up till now it’s only been available to my private students but now I’m offering for sale to everyone….
Today, we’re officially launching the new Wednesday Guest Author spot here at This Writer’s Life. Please welcome Martha O’Sullivan. And please say a thank you to her for taking time to answer these questions by checking out her work. TWL-Why and when did you decide to become an author? Martha O’Sullivan (MOS)-Writing was a childhood…
Have you ever thought about becoming a freelance writer…yes, even if you’ve only written fiction up till now. That’s the position I found myself in back in 2000 when I quit my job at a publishing company. I woke up the following morning thinking about what I was going to do to pay my bills….
Hi Everyone, I thought I’d share these two links with you…many of you told me you enjoy ideas for potential markets and contests- sThe first one is from Writer Magazine and it’s their essay contest. First prize is $1,000, Second Prize, $500 and Third Place prize is $250. There is a $25 entry fee. Check…
I’m teaching workshops again this year for Outreach International Writers. Here is a listing of the classes I’m offering February through May (I’ll be posting the remaining ones as soon as they go on sale) This year as an added bonus to students, I’ll be offering a free one month membership to my new private…
Happy 2023. I have lots planned for this year and thought I’d share them with you. First one, I had a logo made for This Writer’s Life. Next project, starting a podcast named This Writer’s Life so stay tuned. I’m also opening up the guest blogger spots here on the site. Every Wednesday you can…
I’ve got some exciting news to share with you today. Writer’s Craft 4.0 is LIVE NOW! And lucky you, because you’re getting FIRST DIBS on this incredible bundle deal. Writer’s Craft 4.0 has been hand-curated specifically for writers and indie authors. Inside, you’ll find a plethora of tools and resources to help you with even…
I know it’s been a long time since I posted on This Writer’s Life. I’ve been busy with projects and revamping some of my other sites, one being my Budget Smart Girl…www.budgetsmartgirl.com if you want to check it out. I’ve been slowly working on a new book…number 14 in my Kalispell Shifters and slowly is…
This is your last chance to save $6,500+ on 50+ writing and self-publishing tools and resources. At 11.59pm EDT on Tuesday, June 14th, Write Publish Profit 5.0 vanishes. This is your last chance to get lifetime access to: ✔ 30 comprehensive ecourses, ebooks and masterclasses designed to help you plan, write, edit, self-publish and promote…
There’s a name for what keeps writers from writing. And it’s not procrastination. It’s worse. Much worse. It’s Catch-22-itis™ It nestles in the space between your desire to write and that weird writer’s belief that to be able to write well everything else needs to be in order first. But C-22™ has just one job:…
I’ve got some pretty exciting news to share with you today… I recently joined forces with the amazing team over at Infostack.io to bring you something out of this world… If you’re not familiar, Infostack is the leading discount bundle deal site online. They hand-curate collections with lifetime-access to premium tools and resources, usually valued…
Self-publishing isn’t easy, is it? While there’s never been more opportunity to turn your writing into a full-time career (if that’s your goal)……the journey is rarely a straight line. There are often many (unforseen) ups and downs, and at times, it can be downright grueling. That’s why I think it’s good to tap into inspiration…
Just a reminder that Infostack is running an awesome giveaway for writers, authors, and self-publishers. You can win over $1,000+ worth of writing software, self-publishing coaching, and more — plus 10 books you should DEFINITELY have in your library. This giveaway is free to enter and there are multiple ways to win. One lucky grand…
Stay tuned because on June 7th Infostack will be offering the Write Publish Profit 5.0 which is a bundle of incredible resources that every writer needs. I took a look at the lineup and let’s just say the first thing that came to mind was why wasn’t this around when I started writing. What a…
Would you like to be the grand prize winner of 10 bestselling books for writers, a one on one coaching session, and a year’s free membership to both The Novel Factory and Prowriting Aid? All you have to do is follow the link below (full disclosure, it’s my own affiliate link). This is all courtesy…
The plot isn’t working, my characters are flat, the dialogue is awful…we all hear these words in our heads as we write. It’s normal and it’s part of the process. We all make mistakes as we write, but don’t let it stop you. Learn from them and figure out how you can do better next…
Would you be interested in The Writer’s Life Membership? This is just an idea for now but one I’m considering setting up a membership component for the site. It would be a monthly subscription where you’d get access to writing prompts, writing instruction via video and audio lessons, in depth market guides, interview with editors…
Sometimes finding something to write about or creating a new story is the easy part, finding a market for your work is the tough side of the equation. Here are three potential markets for you to check out- Chicken Soup for the Soul This is great market if you’re a beginning writer and it’s Chicken…
It’s Cyber Monday and time for some sales- Head over to www.susanpalmquist.com and use code CyberMonday21 for a 30% discount on all my writing courses and writing how to’s. Also, check out my sale at my money saving site, www.budgetsmartgirl.com where you can use coupon code CyberMondayBSG for 50% off anything in the store which…
It’s Black Friday and there’s a sale going on over at my site, www.susanpalmquist.com. Use coupon code BlackFriday21 to save 25% off any writing course or writing how to’s. And check out my sale at Budget Smart Girl, www.budgetsmartgirl.com for save 25% off anything in the store…I have lots of writing related items so use…
I know it’s been a long time since I posted. I’ve been busy with lots of projects and I’ll tell you more about them very soon. I’ll be posting coupons on Friday and Monday because I’m holding holiday sales on all my products so it’s a great time to get one of classes or workbooks…
NaNoWriMo isn’t far away so this month, I thought we’d polish some writing skills ready for this year’s event. Five writing elements…some might be your weakness or even or strengths. Ready to give them a try? Have fun and happy writing.
You’ll never get published if you’re not writing and only dreaming about being an author. Don’t talk about writing a book, write a book!
Happy August and it’s time for this month’s prompts. I thought we’d try some visual prompts. Here are five photos and all with a summer theme. Have fun figuring out what stories you can create using them as a guideline for plotting and characters. Happy writing.
It’s been some time since I’ve written a Friday Ramblings and a few weeks since I’ve posted anything to TWL. I’ve been busy researching new ventures and business ideas. It’s fun but it takes time. I’ve also been outlining a new book which I’ll start on next week. It will bring two of my series…
Please welcome Erin Mahoney to This Writer’s Life. She’s one of my private students and the author of Side Hustle Gigs, A Step by Step Guide to a Profitable Side Business. This Writer’s Life(TWL)-Let’s start with you telling everyone about yourself and how you got interested in side gigs? Erin Mahoney (EM)-By education and training,…
It’s July which means new writing prompts. This time I thought we’d do something different and focus on work you’ve already created. Take a scene or chapter and if it’s in first person turn it into third person and vice versa. Read it through and see which version you like best. Take another scene and…
Despite being motivated are you still struggling with your writing? Recently, I’ve had a few private students who are very motivated but for some reason, they weren’t getting results. In fact, it’s one of the reasons, they asked me to coach them. During our weekly check in call, they’ve both reported they’ve written nothing, zero,…
Are you thinking about starting a side gig or do you already have one? Are you using your skill as a writer for your side hustle? I can’t think of a better way to make some extra cash each week than putting your talent for writing to good use. These can be short pieces for…
It’s June and time for a new set of prompts. Have fun and happy writing. Last Line Who would be next? Any Line No cell phone reception here. Story Fragments Use the following scenario in any part of your story Why do they always discontinue the flavors I like the best? Setting Deserted supermarket Your…
One of the key elements to being a successful freelance writing is finding consistent work. When I started out, I’d spend a few hours a day researching markets, trying to figure out who hired freelance writers and what looked like a good match. Fast forward to today, and I think it’s gotten a little easier…
I just finished going through today’s e-mails and saw four writing opportunities I thought I’d pass onto you- First one is a short story contest at The Writer…also check out their other contests too- https://www.writermag.com/contests/ Second one is over at Chicken Soup for the Soul. They’re looking for stories about angels…this isn’t a fiction market….
Do you study trends? I just finished writing a post over at my other site about how being a trend watcher or a future thinker can help you figure out how to make money. As I was writing it, I thought, this is probably a great topic for the audience at TWL too. I don’t…
What separates the writer who actually finishes writing a book to the person who just dreams about it? It’s mindset… A few months ago, I decided to start a new exercise routine. I’ve tried to do that many times before and for one reason or another, I’ve given up after a week or two. Good…
Here are the writing prompts for May. Have fun and happy writing. Objects Place the following object somewhere in your story. Solar powered lawn mower Movie Titles How about creating stories based on movies. Imagine that you’ve never seen them before and let the title spark your imagination to come up with your own tale….
What are your writing goals? Plan your May writing schedule and stick with it!
Can you believe that today is the last one in April? I’m behind on my to do list and one of the reasons for no posts this week here at TWL. I’ll try to do better next week. In fact, two posts I have on my list are the May Prompts and how to get…
Wondering why your short story keeps getting rejected? Or maybe what you thought was the perfect idea for a publication still got a no, not for us response? It could be that you’re writing before you research. This was huge mistake I made and had I known about this easy to remember tip, I know…
A brief Ramblings as I’m in the middle of a project I want to get done by the end of the day. This week, I posted a new class over at Skillshare called Easy Ways to write a novel in 30 Days. It’s a great supplemental class to any of my write a novel in…
Do you want to increase your chances of an editor requesting to see your manuscript or even getting published? It’s not just down to the actual story or proposal but how you can follow guidelines and instructions. Think of it as an entrance test. In the coming weeks, I’ll be telling you about markets that…
Are you working to a deadline even though you don’t have one? This week I published a new class at Skillshare Be a Better Writer-15 Easy Tips. 15 easy things you can do to improve your skills whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or even a non-fiction article. I’ll give you a link at…
Writing a book, writing anything can be scary but as this quote says if it wasn’t then it wouldn’t be a goal worth having. This week, get over your fear and begin writing.
Did you set the goal of writing a book this year? Three months are behind us and have you started writing yet? If the answer is no, why not? Welcome to April and time for maybe some new goals? Mine is to get more self paced classes ready, go through old files and see what…
It’s another month which means it’s time for another round of writing prompts. Enjoy and happy writing. Scenario Your character loses their car keys. First Line “That’s not the way to treat friend.” Any Line “No cell phone reception here.” Journal Prompt Remember the last time someone did something to embarrass you. Opening Scene Matt…
You’ve had three rejections in the last month. An agent has just told you that the story you thought was great has lots of flaws. You’ve been writing for five years and not one single byline. Should you quit? My first response is no, never give up. However, here are some questions to ask yourself…
The last Ramblings of the month. How are your writing goals working out so far this year? It’s a great time to look back at the first three months of the year and see if you’ve done all you set out to, or promised yourself, you’d do. I got more books translated this week. If…
All too often we get into a comfortable zone. It’s safe, it’s familiar, and why not you say, after all, we’ve worked years just to get to this point. However, in every writer’s life, comes the time when you have to step outside that zone. Venture into territory unknown and yes, it’s sometimes scary. A…
The life of a freelance writer and author isn’t an easy one. It’s not just a time thing, but often a money thing especially when it’s your main source of income. I’ve had lean times, times when the publication or client I’ve worked with has been slow to pay. And yes, a few times, when…
My apologies for the lack of posts this week. I’ve had too many projects and now it’s Friday before I even realized it. I got one of my budget related books translated to Spanish. It’s being published right now and I’ll let you know more about that once it goes on sale. I’m also working…
It’s sometimes a struggle to find the energy and time to write, but think about how you’ll feel when you write the last word of the story.
As many of you know, I have a budget related web site. I have products for sale and many of them are writing related. I’m taking part in a sale that starts today and runs through March 17th. You’ll find lots of great resources, some of them are also writing related, some are gift cards,…
I’m way behind with my posts this week. I’m juggling lots of projects and that got me thinking about what happens to our writing when we have too much stuff going on it our lives. I’ll be honest, I intended to start a new novella on Monday and it didn’t happen. Anyone else in the…
What are you waiting for? If you haven’t already started, this week, get those first words written.
Welcome to March and it’s almost spring. Or maybe it’s almost fall in your part of the world. I had every intention of posting more content here this week but I’ve been working on too many projects. Yes, that’s often my downfall. Too many ideas all at once. I’m still working on turning all my…
It’s time for the March Writing Prompts, enjoy and happy writing. Scenario Your character starts having dreams that seem to be coming true. Fit the following object into a story Hair dye First Line I heard the sirens long before the police arrived at the front door. Story Spark What’s your favorite city? Photo Prompt
You’ve reached the end of the challenge and it might have the same feeling as when you write that final word at the end of the novel, short story, article or even a poem. You did it. You committed to 28 days of writing each and every day. Now you’re going to repeat it next…
Maybe you’ve already written a book or maybe during this challenge, you’ve written your very first words or chapter. Writing and getting published takes dedication and you need to be in this for the long haul. Today sit down and write about your future self as an author five or ten years from now. For…
Hopefully, by now, you’ve written the first three chapters of your book. Congratulations because lots of people don’t even make it this far. After this challenge ends, it’s my hope that you would have gotten into a writing habit, and feel comfortable writing each and every day. I also hope that these first three chapters…
Did you get chapters one and two finished? You’ve started on the road to writing a book, you’ve pulled your reader in, built some suspense, given the story the I must read on quality and now it’s on to chapter three. Most agents and editors want to see the first three chapters before they request…
Did you manage to get chapter one written? Anything you struggled with? Anything surprise you? Do you need to make adjustments? Let’s keep on writing. Today it’s all about chapter two. How does it build from the first chapter? Are you creating suspense, conflict? Introducing new characters? Happy writing.
We’re in the final stretch of the writing challenge. It’s time to start thinking about your story and everything you’ve learned so far. This week it’s going to be about getting those first three chapters written. One day at a time, one chapter at a time. Today, use all the resources you’ve gathered so far…
We’re in the final week of the Writing Challenge. What are your hesitations, what’s holding you back?
Today, it’s a simple task. Sit down and write down everything you know about your plot. Doesn’t matter if you don’t create complete sentences. Just brainstorm, free write, get it all down on paper. Happy writing.
Some people struggle with plotting while others find creating characters to be their Achilles’ heel. Many times it’s because we don’t know our characters well enough before we start writing their story. Today, imagine you’re going to a coffee shop to meet with your character. What are you going to ask them? What sort of…
This week we’ve been working with the story of the couple who housesit for their friend, Bob, and discover the painting that was stolen from their home is sitting in Bob’s basement. We’ve changed point of view and also from third to first person (or vice versa). Today, we’re going to step outside our comfort…
On Tuesday, we began our story based on the short scenario of the couple finding their missing painting in the home of a friend. Yesterday, we changed point of view so today we change from third person to first person. Pick one of the characters and change your story to first person. If you’ve already…
Yesterday’s challenge was all about writing the basic story and today, we’re going with a different point of view. Who was your original storyteller? Pick another point of view character and tell the same story from their mind. It could be Jane…maybe she knew something that Harry didn’t. Or how about Bob? What’s his side…
Let’s try something different and something that flexes our writing muscles. Here’s an basis for a story and each day we’re going to change things up while still using this plot line. Today, just write the story as you would with any other prompt. Jane and Harry are looking after their Bob’s house while he’s…
Yesterday you wrote for 15 minutes. Today it’s going to be 30 minutes. Take yesterday’s work and change it in someway. It could be from a different point of view, tense or even a different genre. At the end, check on how you did. Did having something already written to work with make it easier…
We’re heading into week three of the writing challenge and let’s put what we’ve learned about our writing habits and preferences to good use. Set a timer for 15 minutes and do some work on your current project. If you don’t have a work in progress then start one. It could be a short story…
Another story prompt to round out Day 12 of this writer’s challenge. Be sure to keep all your writing notes from the week because we’ll be putting them to good use this weekend. Here’s today’s story idea. Matt is waiting for his sister to arrive on the next train and while he’s on the platform…
This week we’ve been focusing on story prompts. Using them as ideas to begin a writing session. We’re also making notes about where we write and for how long and how much gets written. Even noting if we’re sticking with the daily writing habit or not and why. Today, let’s try a story fragment. Something…
How did you writing day go yesterday? Are you noticing anything about your writing and writing habits. Why not keep a journal and make a few notes after each writing session. Let’s continue with this week’s story prompt, here’s one for Day 10. Your character arrives back from vacation only to discover all the photos…
By now you should have figured out where your most productive writing spot is and whether it’s writing at home, away from home, with keyboards or pen and paper. This week we’re going to put that information to good use while we work on some story prompts. Here’s today’s prompt- Your character has forgotten his…
Yesterday you choose a space to write and today is the second part of the exercise. Today, try another spot for writing. Yesterday, it might have been your living room so today try the bedroom or kitchen. If it’s warm enough, head outside. Record how long you wrote and how many words your produced. Make…
Today’s challenge is part one of two. Today, you’re going to find someplace to write. It could be in your home or even at a local coffee shop, even outside. Spend as much time as you can there and write. Make a note of how long you were actually writing..30 minutes, two hours, and how…
Today we turn to description for our challenge. Sit by a window…or if it’s warm enough sit outside and write a few paragraphs, (more if you want), about what you see. Don’t just look ahead but up and down. The ground below your feet, the sky above. The trees outside the window. Are they bare,…
After two days of freewriting. One with pen and paper and the other using keyboards, let’s compare the two methods. Take a look at both pieces you wrote. Which made you the most productive? Was it the longhand way of writing or using keyboards? Is the wordcount near enough the same or did you pen…
Yesterday we focused on freewriting with pen and paper. Today we turn to laptops, keyboards… Set your timer for ten minutes and once again freewrite. It could be something you see in the room, some dialogue between two characters, the opening of a new story or even random ramblings. Keep this handy because on day…
Today, set a timer for ten minutes. Pull out a pen and paper and write anything that comes into your head. Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense, or on the other hand, if it’s part of a scene for a story, a poem, an observation…whatever. When the time is up, put the paper aside….
Editors and agents see lots of manuscript each week. Readers see lots of newly self published books each week. So, how do you make yours stand out? How do you take a plot that everyone’s seen hundreds of times before and put a new spin on it? One easy way to give your readers something…
It’s NaNoWriMo and how are you doing? I thought I’d share with you some more of my favorite tips to help you finish the first week. Take Breaks A long, long time ago, I used to be able to sit for hours and write. Now if I do that, my body tells me it was…
No Tuesday guest blogger this week so thought I’d address a topic that’s been on my mind for several months. While I haven’t done as much reading over the summer as I’d hoped, I have read the beginning of many stories and chosen to pass on them. They might have been great stories but they…
Tuesday was a day I’d be dreading for a long time. It began not as I’d planned. My tabby cat who was 22 years and 2 months old (yes, you read that right), showed signs that his journey was coming to end. Up to a few weeks ago, you would never have believed he was…
Two posts in one day, but I wanted to let you know that my How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 30 Days is on sale. It’s a four week self paced course with other great resources like a Kindle publishing guide and self publishing planner. It’s on sale for just $5 because I’m taking…
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