Where Normal Need Not Apply
Several writers I know have recently tried the “Fast Draft” method. What is the Fast Draft method? Fast drafting entails getting the framework of our stories down as fast as possible—without worrying what that draft looks like. Author Candace Havens says it’s possible to complete a first draft in two weeks. *mind boggles* Two weeks is […]
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My friend Roni Loren wrote a fabulous post yesterday about the life cycle of a blogger. She echoed thoughts similar to Kait Nolan’s great post, “Social Media Ennui.” When we first start on social media or reading and/or writing blog posts, everything is shiny and new. That post about query letters is amazing simply because we […]
Last week, Stacy Green asked me a question on Twitter and my fingers cramped while thinking about how to answer her in chunks of 140 characters. *smile* So we decided to make it an Ask Jami question here instead. Stacy asked: “What’s your opinion on e-publishers versus agents? … pros and cons. I know a […]
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Some days it feels like the publishing business has endless debates and choices where people want us to take sides. Plotter vs. pantser, plot-driven vs. character-driven, traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Ugh. I don’t like taking sides because one answer doesn’t apply to every situation, much less every person. With my whatever-works-for-you attitude, I try to tweet […]
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After all the serious posts lately, I need a break for something fun. And oh look, the calendar is playing along. It’s getting close to one of my favorite times of the year: Halloween. As a kid, I loved dressing up (in one of those semi-lame-made-from-stuff-in-mom-and-dad’s-closet costumes), going out trick-or-treating, turning our basement into a […]
Confession: I broke one of the unwritten rules of the Writer Code. I ranted. In public. On an agent’s blog. And yet I’m still here to tell to the tale. In fact, the agent responded to my comment and then—in a show of fantastic grace—emailed me to make sure I didn’t take offense. We ended […]
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(Read below for updates.) Recently, a thief broke into my brother’s house. They weren’t home, so no one was physically hurt. However, the shock of the crime still caused emotional pain. The thief didn’t take too much, mostly just small things he could carry, but now they wonder if the guy will strike again in […]
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Subtitle: Über Blogging, True Fans, or ??? In case you haven’t heard, recent statements by agents have started a kerfuffle over whether blogging is a waste of time for most writers. The first I heard of it was through agent Wendy Lawton’s post, What’s Not Working, where she says: “I wouldn’t recommend a writer start blogging in order […]
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The comments of my last post led to a great conversation about how not having a business mindset will likely hurt authors. However, I didn’t say writers absolutely, positively must be business-minded. I don’t think writers without an entrepreneurial spirit or business sense are doomed. The truth is that we can’t be good at everything. We all have weaknesses, whether that be craft […]
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Have you ever visited a restaurant where the food was fantastic, but the service was atrocious? I’ve known several places like that. People who love to cook might dream for years about opening their own place—and then once they do, the restaurant fails. Why? Because the skill of being a good cook is different from […]
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