Here’s something new I thought I’d launch on TWL, my response to questions I get sent from aspiring writers. I’m calling it Hi Susan so if you have a question about anything writing related whether it be fiction or non-fiction just leave a comment or you can send it to me via writerslifeblog@gmail.com. The first question…
Tag: authors
Me, Myself, and I-Writing in the First Person
Raise your hand if you write (or want to write) stories in the first person? It’s hard for me to guess the exact percentage of you who are holding your hand high in the air. I have lots of students who tell me they’d love to give it a try but feel it’s too difficult….
Monday Motivation-Don’t View It As Failure
Edison probably wasn’t talking about writing when he made this quote but it’s ideal inspiration for authors. So what if a plot doesn’t go as planned, or the characters fall flat, or another rejection hits your mailbox. You’ve not failed. It’s just that something didn’t quite work for that story. Fire up the computer and start…
Anthologies-Ideal for Beginning Writers
I’m often asked for suggestions about markets that are more willing to consider new writers. There are a lot out there. Some will pay you a small amount while others will pay in copies. One market area I had a lot of success with was anthologies. In fact, I think being published in four anthologies at the…
Friday Ramblings From An Author-Always Proofread
This week I know what the person who first coined the term TGIF was thinking. This one’s even Friday the 13th. It seems like it’s a busy week and I’ve lost count on how many words I’ve written or read. Ever been so word fatiqued that you’re not sure if you’re spelling simple words like the and…
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Tell a non-writer you’re an author and the first question out of their mouth is usually, where do you get your ideas? Sometimes it’s a puzzle for writers too. What happens when the story idea bank runs dry? When I began writing, one major issue I had was one too many story ideas. They’d…
Wednesday Writing Prompts-Lighthouse
For this week’s prompt let’s get into a summer mood and thinking about beaches and the sea and focus on a lighthouse. Does your character see one while out at sea? Are they lost at sea? Are they visiting an old lighthouse…maybe they’re returning to one they visited at a child. Maybe it’s a lighthouse…
Monday Motivation-One Day and One Chapter
They say if you have a big project and it seems overwhelming, break it down. Writing a book can be overwhelming especially when it’s your first try. Sometimes you start out with great motivation but then it disappears. Don’t think about writing a whole book each time you sit down. Think about writing one chapter….
Friday Ramblings From An Author-Take It Slow Week
It seems like it’s been an odd week because it had a holiday sandwiched in the middle of it. I almost forgot that today was Friday. I spent a good part of the day outside working on upcoming projects. One of those is finally deciding what to do with a site I sort of…
Conflict and Emotion-Keys to A Great Story(and getting published)
Thank you for your submission but we’re sorry it’s not suitable for us… On my journey to becoming a published author, receiving letters with that opening line became a weekly event. Sometimes I’d sit down and cry while other times I’d just get angry. These are great characters I’d tell myself. Are all these…