Tips and Advice About Writing and Self-Publishing
The Hi Susan letters are piling up so I thought I’d devote this Tuesday to responding to one of them. Luanne sent me this one… I’m thinking about writing my story in present tense. Do you think it’s a good idea or should I avoid it at all costs? This is a question with no…
Time once again to dive into the Hi Susan e-mail pile. I picked this question from Marc who wrote… I’m just starting out as an author and researching the type of book I want to write. Should I go with similar books that I see on the bestseller lists? An easy answer, no. Sounds counterproductive to…
Time for another Hi Susan and this one was asked by Kimberley… I have a ton of ideas rattling around in my head. First of all, how do I make sure I don’t forget any gems? Second question, how do I determine if one’s good enough to become a story? I loved these questions…
The Hi Susan letters are filling my e-mail so let’s dive into another one. This was sent by Ashley who wrote- I had a bunch of beta readers look at my manuscript and each person had the same comment, my dialogue stinks. Is there anyway I can improve that skill? Absolutely, anything that’s your Achilles’…
The Hi Susan e-mails are piling up so I thought I’d answer one today. Jenny asked the following- Is it okay to use real people as characters in your story? While you want all your characters to be appear as close to real life people as possible, portraying someone that a real life person could recognize as…
It’s time for another Hi Susan, and this question came from Penny… I’ve been writing and writing and I never thought I’d run out of plot ideas but I have. Does that mean I’m not supposed to be a writer? My answer to Penny, you are supposed to be a writer. All of us…
Time for another Hi Susan. This one was sent to me by Janey who asked… I wrote what I thought was a great short story but I’ve sent it to just about every publication on my list and still no luck. When and how do you decide to call it quits on getting a…
Time for another Hi Susan and this time it’s Chris who asked… You’ve mentioned your art and jewelry making, do you think having a creative hobby helps writers? My simple answer is yes. My not so simple answer is I’ve used lots of techniques to help me work out stories, brainstorm ideas, and sort out my…
I have about twenty Hi Susan e-mails waiting for me so thought I’d get to at least one this week. Chloe writes- Is it true that a fiction authors should only write about an experience they’ve gone through themselves? When I started writing, I’d heard that too. My first book was based on my own experience…
This e-mail from Stephanie touched on a topic that I’ve been meaning to post about for some time. Here’s what she wrote… Hi Susan, I keep hearing about critique groups and beta readers. One editor who recently sent me a rejection letter even suggested I find a critique partner? What’s what and which one…
