I should add two words to the title of this post and that’s for writers. Sometimes I know I should be writing but instead I’m searching Netflix and soon I’m watching a movie and time slips away. However, last month I took a different view of time spent away from my writing. I was watching this one movie and…
Category: Writing Tips
Hi Susan-I’m In A Catch 22 Situation-Help!
I thought I’d pick a non-fiction question this time and this one was e-mailed to me from Lee. Hi Susan, I’m trying to become a freelance writer but every time I approach a market they ask to see samples of my previous work but I don’t have any. I feel like writing is the ultimate…
Get To Know Your Characters before You Write Your Novel-Part Two
Here’s the second part of Beth’s guest post… Interview Your Characters Imagine one of your characters is sitting across the table from you, sipping a beverage, and looking at you. Keep your story in mind as you ask questions. Interview them and take notes. If you don’t know your story at all yet, all the…
Get To Know Your Characters before You Write Your Novel by Beth Barany
Beth Barany is back with us and here’s the first of her two part blog about creating great characters for your story…. Many authors want to get to know their writers better before they write their novels but don’t know where to begin. One way to get to know them is to interview them. I love…
Dear Susan-Should I Quit Writing?
Our first Dear Susan post of the year. Joy sent me this e-mail… I’ve been writing for five years, sent out what seems like lots of stories. I know I’ve been close to getting published a few times but it doesn’t seem like it’s ever going to happen. Any advice about when I should…
Story Length-Does it Matter?
Say hello to the first guest blogger of 2019, Barbara Plum whose post takes us back to our school days… Remember those dreaded high-school English themes? Did your teacher, when asked about length, compare the assignment to a skirt? “Long enough to cover the subject. Short enough to be interesting.” Say what? How does this…
Goal Setting for the Pantster??
Say hello to our last guest blogger of the year, Shannon Nemechek… Goal setting for the pantster? Sure, why not?? As a pantster born and bred there has always been one GOAL- well maybe a few but basically my number one goal has always been write, write, write. I have tried to plot but…
The Importance of Making Lists
Here’s guest blogger Vicki Batman with a holiday themed post but yet a reminder about how we should keep lists… At this time of year, there’s the whole rush-rush to make Christmas perfect. The least little thing turns our life upside down. But do the holidays have to be flawless? I’d like to…
Goals in the Panic of the Holidays and Random Quick Tips [RQTs]
Madeline McEwen ‘s back with another post and more sketches… [As I write this, my spouse, who never reads my work, leans over my shoulder to query my use of the word, “panic.” For him, the word, “holidays,” evokes many emotional responses, positive ones predominate. In response, I’m tempted to flash my lists at him: everything…
How to Make a Teaser Using Canva
Daryl Devoré is back to show us how we can make teaser trailers for books using Canva… I’m not artistic and I’m not good with computer programs. But authors need to advertise and teasers are a good way. So how to I do it? I use two photo manipulation programs – Canva and GIMP….