“Is traditional publishing for me?”
It’s a question all writers ask at some point in their journey. And the answer depends on each individual. We interviewed Jamie Weiner, author...
Word choice matters.
Mark Twain allegedly said that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.
I often struggle to lay...
“Is my idea any good?” “Is this idea good enough for a book?”
At the heart of the creative journey is a good idea. And we all want to know if our idea is good enough for a...
Have you ever read a story in which the writer slows you down with two many details?
This is easy to do when we write stories.
One of the most elemental pieces of writing advice is this: Be specific....
“Do I need a platform to publish?”
That question is vague enough to be answered in two ways.
To make your writing public (our definition of publishing), you need some sort of...
“Life isn’t a support-system for art. It’s the other way around” (King, 101).
Stephen King’s On Writing chronicles King’s life from adolescence to his late...
No. You don't.
Many discussions regarding productive writing center around carving out large blocks of time:
* 90-minute blocks (I've espoused this!);
* Half-day writing chunks;
* Writing days; and
*...
“Should I find a writing coach? Do I need a coach?”
It depends. Are you stuck on your thesis? Do you struggle with structuring your book? Do your thoughts lack clarity or depth?
If...
The phrase "pearl of great price" is a historical concept, dating back to the ancient scriptures.
The phrase means, essentially, "something that is very rare and is considered very important."
Such...
“Why do I need a social media following?”
The simple answer: Because agents and publishers want you to have an established following. They want to know how you will reach your audience...
Dave asked me (Melissa) to write this week’s Tipster. I started and stopped and restarted 19 times. You’d think I wouldn’t agonize over crafting an email.
I’m a...
The right details in a story fire up the imagination of the reader.
This is true with nonfiction or fiction writing.
"What to include, what to leave out," writes John McPhee, in his classic Draft No....
