Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer. —Barbara Kingsolver Writers have many ways of sabotaging themselves. One of the most insidious ones, in my opinion, is showing their work too early. I advise writers not to seek feedback from a writers group, or even a professional editor, … Read More »

Ever wonder why when some people comment on blog posts or in forums, their photo appears alongside their comment? It’s because the have a Gravatar—a Globally Recognized Avatar. We employ Gravatars here on the Florida Writers Association website, both for commenters and for blog post authors.  Many website commenting systems do, including WordPress which accounts for more than 37.6 million websites worldwide. Using the same profile photo across all social media platforms and for commenting on blogs is an easy way … Read More »

Recently a comment in an online forum for editors I participate in provoked much discussion, and it occurred to me that it might be interesting for you writers to be privy to something editors talk about when you’re not around. An editor new to the business wondered what other editors do when their editorial comments and revision suggestions are rejected by the author. The In-House Editor & House Style Whether or not the writer incorporates suggested revisions seemed to be … Read More »

In an article I’ve saved for a long time, Gail Godwin names her inner critic the “Watcher at the Gate.” The Watcher is “the intellect that examines too closely the ideas pouring in at the gates … passionately dedicated to one goal: rejecting too soon and discriminating too severely.” Godwin writes, “It is amazing the lengths a Watcher will go to keep you from pursuing the flow of your imagination. Watchers are notorious pencil sharpeners, ribbon changers, plant waterers, home … Read More »

Is your author website as effective as it can be? Is it really working for you? Is it time for a website tune-up? To save money and because so many “free” resources are available, many writers build their own websites. I love and believe in the entrepreneurial spirit. But book marketing is challenging; you can’t do everything yourself; and writers can’t be expected to have all  the skills  or knowledge they need to create a professional author website. Here are some website essentials you might … Read More »

Questions about manuscript formatting pop up frequently in online discussion groups for writers. Sometimes you’ll get great help asking virtual strangers, but just as often the advice you receive will conflict, not apply to your particular situation, or be just plain wrong. (And how many novels could we write with all the time used on online forums to “debate” whether there should be one or two spaces after a period?) This post was inspired by an online discussion where one … Read More »