[Tipster] Do You Need Blocks of Writing Time to Make Progress? tipster post Apr 15, 2022

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

*...

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[Podcast] Why You Should Find a Writing Coach 1 developing the writer's mindset podcast post Apr 12, 2022

“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...

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[Tipster] Constructive Feedback Is the Pearl of Great Price tipster post Apr 08, 2022

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...

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[Podcast] How to Grow Your Social Media Following 5 promoting your writing media podcast post Apr 04, 2022

“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...

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[Tipster] Find Your Writing Voice on Social Media tipster post Apr 01, 2022

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...

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[Tipster] Selecting Just the Right Details for Your Story tipster post Mar 25, 2022

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....

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[Tipster] What Does Rejection Say About Your Writing Mindset? tipster post Mar 19, 2022

We all have different reasons for writing. Each of our writing paths is unique.

Some want to write for their family only. To ensure that the stories of their challenges and accomplishments don't get...

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[Blog] Should You Query Through Twitter Pitch Events? 5 promoting your writing agents blog post Mar 17, 2022

Querying an agent can be exhausting and terrifying. There are a multitude of ways to query an agent, ranging from writers’ conferences to emailing a submission. But there is another way to...

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[Podcast] How to Reframe Publishing 4 publishing your writing podcast post Mar 17, 2022

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “published author?” Do you imagine a writer who has published a book? Or a writer who has published an article in a magazine?

Most writers...

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[Memoir Review] Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah memoir review Mar 15, 2022

Falling Leaves is a memoir that chronicles the life of Chinese-American author and physician Adeline Yen Mah and her coming of age in war-torn, Communist China, a “society that kept girls in...

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[Tipster] The Two Parts of Every Story tipster post Mar 11, 2022

I recently read a memoir about a prominent American family. I loved the storyline. But I got stuck in one chapter where the author went down a rabbit hole.

He went into "commentary" mode.

He went on...

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[Tipster] How Long Should this Article, Chapter, or Book Be? tipster post Mar 04, 2022

How Long Should this Article, Chapter, or Book Be?

Good question. If you've never "published" before, most likely you have no real idea of length for your writing project.

By "published," I don't...

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