Writing Stuff

Need to Decide on a Path? Know Your Goals

June 13, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Need to Decide on a Path? Know Your Goals

I’ve written several posts about how we have to figure out our goals. Do we want to be famous? How can we prioritize fast, cheap, and good? How important are bookstores to us? I touch on the subject a lot because we can’t figure out the right publishing path for us until we know our goals. Recently, [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, dreams, editors, epublishing, Jami Gold, paranormal author, risk, self-publishing, small publishers, traditional publishing

Click here to read more

Does Drafting Terrify or Energize You?

June 11, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Does Drafting Terrify or Energize You?

Last week I started a new work-in-progress (WIP). Yay! I love drafting but I know others don’t. Some people call the first draft a “discovery draft,” and that description certainly holds true for me. My first drafts are all about discovering the story. Literally. I’m a reformed plotter and now write mostly by the seat [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: dreams, happiness, Jami Gold, listening to characters, muse, paranormal author, plotter vs. pantser, self-doubt, story seed, story structure

Click here to read more

MS Word Templates & Styles — Guest: Jordan McCollum

June 6, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for MS Word Templates & Styles — Guest: Jordan McCollum

Whether we’re a fan of Microsoft or not, most of us will have to deal with MS Word at some point in our manuscript’s life. Even if we use a program like Scrivener to draft, many editors prefer to work in MS Word for its Track Changes and Commenting features. I’ve used MS Word since [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, editing, giveaway, guest blogs, Jami Gold, Jordan McCollum, organized, paranormal author, perfectionism

Click here to read more

Ask Jami: Can This Story Be Saved?

June 4, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Ask Jami: Can This Story Be Saved?

I do a lot of beta reading for friends, and sometimes they come to me with a question along the lines of: “I’ve really struggled with x aspect of this story, and I’m wondering if I should just abandon it. Can you take a look and see if this story can be saved?” Here’s a hint [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, Ask Jami, beta reader, critique partners/groups, editing, editors, feedback, Jami Gold, page turning stories, paranormal author, story structure, tension

Click here to read more

Amazon’s Fan Fiction Model: Is It a Good Idea?

May 23, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Amazon’s Fan Fiction Model: Is It a Good Idea?

The internet exploded yesterday with Amazon’s introduction of “Kindle Worlds,” a new publishing model for writers inspired to write fan fiction (fanfic). Everyone and anyone has been commenting on this development, often with gnashing of teeth. Some see this as a win for the fanfic authors, and some see this as an exploitation and/or ripoff [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, epublishing, ethics, fan fiction, Jami Gold, paranormal author, professionalism

Click here to read more

Four Tips for Beta Reading in Other Genres

May 21, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Four Tips for Beta Reading in Other Genres

Recently, a good friend of mine asked for my help in identifying the issues with her story. She’d struggled with it on and off for years and was wondering if she should just chuck the whole thing. I offered to take a look at it, even though her story’s genre isn’t one I know well. [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, beta reader, critique partners/groups, editing, feedback, genre, Jami Gold, paranormal author, romance novels, story structure

Click here to read more

Is This the New Breed of Vanity Publishers?

May 9, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Is This the New Breed of Vanity Publishers?

A few weeks ago, author David Mamet announced he’ll be self-publishing his next book through his literary agency. Some think this is big news, some don’t, and some wouldn’t call David’s plan self-publishing at all. Regardless, this news means we’re seeing the second wave of self-published authors. While the first wave was comprised of early-adopting, [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, ebooks, epublishing, Jami Gold, Jami's rants, paranormal author, print on demand, self-doubt, self-publishing, traditional publishing

Click here to read more

Three Tips for Better Storytelling

May 2, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Three Tips for Better Storytelling

Last time, we talked about how good storytelling can salvage even a poorly written book. As I mentioned in that post, storytelling skill is different from writing skill. Many people have a hard time defining what makes good storytelling—and that makes it difficult for us to improve. Yet I’d argue that storytelling ability isn’t as [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, cause and effect, Jami Gold, page turning stories, paranormal author, premise, risk, story seed, story structure, theme

Click here to read more

Why Is Storytelling Ability So Important?

April 30, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Why Is Storytelling Ability So Important?

What makes some poorly written books fall flat on their face while others succeed despite their flaws? One common answer is “storytelling ability.” But what is storytelling? The concept can seem vague and immeasurable—rather like “voice.” A recent experience with two poorly written books gave me insight into how a deeply flawed story can still [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, cause and effect, emotional heart, Jami Gold, page turning stories, paranormal author, premise, story structure, tension, theme, writing contests

Click here to read more

Why Do You Enter Writing Contests?

April 25, 2013 Writing Stuff
Thumbnail image for Why Do You Enter Writing Contests?

A couple of weeks ago, someone (I won’t name who because I don’t want to embarrass her) asked me what score I’d received in a writing contest. I didn’t want to answer at first. I worried about making her feel bad or seeming like I was bragging. Yet I could understand her question. She’d noticed I [...]

Pin It

Tagged as: advice for writers, agents, dreams, editors, feedback, Jami Gold, paranormal author, risk, RWA, self-doubt, writing contests

Click here to read more

← Previous Entries