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advice for writers

Done! How Do You Celebrate?

Rocks and shells spelling out "END" on a beach

I finished the first draft of another WIP (work in progress) on Monday.  Guess how I celebrated?  *cringes*  Uh, yeah…I did nothing. Yes, it was too late to go out for a celebratory dinner.  And yes, I have a lot of editing to do.  But shouldn’t I have done something?  Sure, […]

November 17, 2011

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Story Climax: The Whole Point — Guest: Victoria Mixon

Picture of Victoria Mixon

I’m excited to share today’s guest post by editor A. Victoria Mixon with everyone.  Her new book The Art & Craft of Story: 2nd Practitioner’s Manual recently came out and is a great addition to our writing craft library. In fact, her blog tour posts have been excerpts from this […]

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November 15, 2011

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What Makes a Story Feel Unrealistic?

Sepia-toned drawing of nighttime on fantasy planet with large moon and hot air balloons

With fiction, a fine line exists between stories we can relate to (no matter how fantastical the setting, characters, or plot) and those we can’t. We’ve all heard the phrase “suspension of disbelief” in relation to movies and books to explain how we accept the impossible. Every genre has different […]

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November 10, 2011

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Can You “Fast Draft”?

Draft stamp

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. […]

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November 8, 2011

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The Blogging Cycle: How Do You Stay Sane?

View down the center of spiral stairs

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 […]

November 3, 2011

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Ask Jami: E-Publishers vs. Agents

Street sign with arrows pointing in opposite directions

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 […]

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November 1, 2011

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Publishing Debates: Should We Take Sides?

Statue holding scales of justice

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 […]

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October 27, 2011

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The Insanity Behind the Pressure to Have “Numbers”

Screen filled with ones and zeroes

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 […]

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October 20, 2011

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How Bad Is Plagiarism?

Broken doorknob from a forced entry crime

(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 […]

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October 18, 2011

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What Does It Take to Sell Books?

Old-fashioned cash register

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 […]

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October 13, 2011

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