Where Normal Need Not Apply
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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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, […]
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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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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My first sarcastic impulse is to answer that question with “Duh.” Writers have to be somewhat delusional to pursue a career that has such a minuscule chance of financial success. (Not to mention that fiction writers exist in a constant state of make-believe.) But there are different styles of delusion. There’s the […]
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Those of you who follow me on Twitter might have seen me tweet quotes from spam comments posted to my blog. If so, you might have noticed I get some very “interesting” comments. It’s gotten to the point that I look forward to reading spam comments. Even more pathetically, I’m […]
Most writers have day jobs and families to take care of, so our writing time is precious. Yet the hour we had set aside for writing instead often goes to…something else. I’m no exception. I’ve spent too much “writing time” playing on Twitter or reading blog posts, etc. Sometimes I […]
I’ll be going on the road for some upcoming blog posts while I endure enjoy time with extended family. Wish me luck. One of my guest blog hosts also asked me to provide my “author bio.” Uh-oh. I thought I wouldn’t need that until I was published. But if we […]
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I have a strange confession for you all: It freaks me out when strangers read my work. I’m not talking about how I’m surprised that any of you read my blog. I mean, I am still surprised by that, but we talk on Twitter, we comment on each other’s blogs, we […]
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Thanks once again to all who responded to my last blog post about whether books should have a rating system. And I say that not just because I didn’t need my flame-proof jacket. *smile* Many shared thoughtful ideas here on my blog, Google+, and Twitter that helped me refine my opinion. If […]
