As each new year approaches, we savor the feeling of a fresh start. We make plans, set goals, and even those of us who won’t openly admit it probably come up with a few resolutions for the new year. For many writers, those resolutions often involve word counts, page counts, and time in the chair. However, those quantitative measures can often leave us feeling like failures when reality hits and we just can’t measure up. Others of us experience a … Read More »

Football season has captured the country, and baseball play-offs have begun. In post-game discussions, we often hear about the Most Valuable Players who took the game from good to great. For writers, it’s crunch season for a lot of those year-end goals. And that means it’s time to line up the MVPs of feedback. When that manuscript is complete and polished, you need to seek out feedback. But not just any feedback. You want to orchestrate the most valuable feedback … Read More »

You’ve written a book. You had an idea, you brought it to life, and you got it done. But where do you go from here? If you think you want to pursue publication, the first step is to educate yourself about the many paths that can get you there. Self Publishing Years ago, self publishing meant going to a print shop. In today’s digital world, self-publishing is much more efficient, and the most popular go-to resources are KDP and Ingram … Read More »

Attend any writers’ conference and at some point the questions about an online presence will be heard. Is a website really necessary? Do I have to succumb to the social media craze? Should I invest my time in an online presence, or should I just focus on my writing? Spoiler alert: there are no definitive answers. However, a website provides a platform, and social media is more than a craze. An online presence can help you make connections, build name … Read More »

There is so much satisfaction in typing the words “The End.” And yet, “The End” is actually a beginning. Great works of literature don’t happen by magic. They are created by revision. Revision is a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be a chaotic process. Mastering a method to the madness of revision will help you streamline your process and get great results. Step One: Let it Rest The first thing you should do is nothing at all. … Read More »

If you’ve read Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, you have been introduced to the concept of an artist date. To cultivate creativity, Cameron suggests that every writer set aside a weekly block of time to nurture the artist within. No partners. No work. Just an hour or two each week designed for a solitary diversion. Although the idea of an artist date may seem self-indulgent, you’ll find that setting aside time to nurture your creative self will yield a greater … Read More »