A Whole Truckload of Reasons You Should See “The Adjustment Bureau”
Even if you’ve seen the preview and decided this isn’t your cup of tea. It’s a high concept story that has traces of, well, some creative and contemporary blending of fantasy, science fiction and The Twilight Zone. Why should you see this movie? Because you’re a writer. That should be reason enough. Because, like a […]
5 Analogies for Writers That Will Keep You Focused and Sane – Part 1
The first in a 5-part series. I discovered the power of a deftly wielded analogy back in the dark ages when I was a minor league baseball player. A pitcher, to be more precise. How dark? Let’s just say I was on a mound in a crumbling old wooden stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia (the […]
A Value-Adding Interview
I normally wouldn’t create a new post just to pimp my book. Put a pitch at the end of a post, yeah, I’m all over that. But this is different. I recently did an interview with Randy Ingermanson, the author of the #1 bestselling “Fiction Writing for Dummies.” He’s also the author of six great […]
“Top Ten Tuesdays” — Please Welcome Judy Dunn of CatsEyeWriter.com
Welcome to our new feature, Top Ten Tuesdays, a series of guest blogs by winners of the “Top Ten Blogs for Writers” contest hosted at Writetodone.com Your Blog as Stage: Building a Believable Author Brand By Judy Dunn of CatsEyeWriter When I teach blogging workshops to aspiring authors, eyes always glaze over when I get to the […]
Day Zero: The Morning Your Book Hits the Street
Allow me to be completely honest and transparent here. I’ve been looking for a way to notify my 4000 or so Storyfix friends when my new book, “Story Engineering: Mastering the Six Core Competencies of Successful Writing” finally launches. So let me go straight at this: It’s out. Actually, the fabled “publication date” is a […]
“Top Ten Tuesdays” — Please Welcome Ollin Morales
Ollin runs {Courage2Create}, one of the best writing blogs I’ve come across. Maybe that opinion is an affinity thing, because he writes (like me) with passion and encouragement and (perhaps unlike me) unflagging positive energy. I encourage you to visit his site and get pumped for the writing life. Why “Idea Scarcity” is A Big […]
The Writing World According to American Idol
I tend to view the world through the lens of a writer. Which means I’m constantly assigning meaning to things while scanning for hooks and nuances and story opportunities. What some people mistake as a dumb blank stare and others as stand-offishness is really me trying to read between the lines. I view the writing […]
“Top Ten Tuesdays” — Please Welcome Top Ten Writing Blogger K.M Weiland
The 3 Integral Components of a Story’s Beginning A guest post by K.M. Weiland of Wordplay Beginnings are tough for a number of reasons, not least among them the fact that we’re wading blind into unknown territory, trembling with the knowledge that if we fail to be brilliant, readers won’t get past the first chapter. […]
Should You Self Publish? One Writer’s Take
By Guest Blogger Mary Andonian It’s been quite the journey. My teen book, Bitsy’s Labyrinth, has just come out in both paperback and e-book after it spent nearly three years with a reputable agent, endured two revisions, garnered one movie deal, and now has finally seen the light of day at your favorite .com outlet. […]
A Self-Publishing Reality Check
I’ll try to keep this short. I have only one very simple point to make here today. And it’s not pretty. But it is important. Every movement of mass hysteria has a voice of reason and moderation, and this is it. This is about getting real with your dream of being published. Because – newsflash […]