Posts Tagged ‘resources’

A Peek Behind the Curtain: Literary Agents at Work

March 8, 2015

EVER WONDER HOW LITERARY AGENTS CHOOSE their authors? Or what common writing problems they see? Or if it really is more difficult to sell a book than it used to be?

If so, check out “The Art of Agenting,” an interview with super-agent Chris Parris-Lamb—whose sale of Chad Harbach’s amazing debut novel, THE ART OF FIELDING, was his first big agenting success. The article, written by novelist Jonathan Lee, appeared recently in GUERNICA MAGAZINE and offers fascinating insights into the Big Leagues of lit agenting.

It also includes some (deliberately!) controversial comments about National Novel Writing Month!

(It’s okay, Chris. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but a little controversy? No probs. That’ll just toughen us up for November.)

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Whistling for Literary Submissions

March 2, 2015

IT’S (SORT OF) SPRING! TIME TO SHOVE YOUR WORK OUT OF the nest. Here are some resources that will help your stories, poems, and essays fly in the right direction:

NEW PAGES lists literary magazines, alternative periodicals, contests, and more. Visit their classifieds for submissions calls.

POETS & WRITERS has an excellent classifieds section, too, with calls for anthologies, books, chapbooks, and work for magazines.

Finally, THE REVIEW REVIEW helps writers identify appropriate markets—and also provides a way for writers to keep in contact with editors! As site creator Becky Tuch says, A story might not be right for a magazine, but [writing] a thoughtful review will be sure to make editors aware of your writing skills. Great classifieds, too!

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Sexy Sentences: Writing Advice

February 12, 2015

SENTENCES. THEY’RE YOUR MOST INTIMATE WHISPER, the pillow talk of your writing life, the tickle of your breath in your reader’s ear. They’re both the whistle of the midnight train and the track your writing heart rides upon. Like a bumbling 20-minute freight, your sentences might ramble on. Or they might bustle through as quick as a three-car commuter rail. No matter. Your sentences—shapely, lovely, long or not-so, curving through a landscape of ideas or driving straight at the brick wall of conclusion—sing your siren song.

One of my tarot-writer heroes, Barbara Moore, shared an article by writer Susan DeFreitas titled, “The Gift of Gab: Mastering the Maximal.” In it, DeFreitas treats us to lovely examples of long, winding sentences, then names the purposes—besides the purely aesthetic pleasure they provide—such sexy sentences might serve.

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Day at the (Tampa) Bay: Mini Writing Conference

February 6, 2015

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS, THAT’S BEEN THE FWA MOTTO for years. Now, FWA wants to be your Valentine, too! On Saturday, February 14th, FWA presents the second annual Day at the Bay mini conference. This year, the workshops target love—and fighting. Yes, a full day focused on writing romance . . . and its exact opposite: hand-to-hand combat, guns, and crime scenes. The love (and assault) takes place at the Hilton Tampa Westshore. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Visit FWA for more details.

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Free! Writing Coaching Round Table: Big Fun for Writers!

February 4, 2015

OUR LAST, FREE (!) ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WAS SO AWESOME (!!!) THAT RACQUEL HENRY and I decided to reprise the event. Join us at Writer’s Atelier, in Winter Park, Florida, on Monday, February 23rd, at 6:45 p.m. We’ll answer questions about your writing projects, including issues of writing process, craft, publishing, and marketing.

While there’s no charge for this presentation, do contact Racquel@RacquelHenry.com to register, as seating is limited. Oh, and let me introduce Racquel! Having earned her MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Racquel co-founded Black Fox Literary Magazine, and is now a writer and editor, an English professor, and the founder of Writer’s Atelier. Her work has appeared in Lotus-eater Literary Magazine and Zest Literary Journal, among others. (See? Awesome!!!)

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Two Indie Bookstores Offer Writing Groups

January 30, 2015

ST. AUGUSTINIANS? JACKSONVILLIANS? LOOKING FOR A COZY SPACE to host a literary event? Indie bookstore Read (Think) Books is the perfect spot for you! Located in quaint-and-teensy downtown Palatka, Florida, just south of Jax on the St. Johns, R(T)B welcomes writers, writing groups, and book clubs. They’ll even brew up a fresh pot of coffee just for you!

Co-owner Kristin Pegler says, Writers and writing groups are the spirit of a bookstore; we wouldn’t be here without them. Sharing ideas with other writers adds joy to a writer’s life and helps build that vital “networking muscle.” When writers seek out our store to inspire and enrich their writing process, I know we’re doing something right.

Central Floridians? Seeking the same? Check out the charming new Writer’s Block Bookstore in downtown Winter Park. Owner Lauren Zimmerman hosts oodles of author and other events—and I bet she’ll toss on a pot of brew for you, too.

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Mark Winton, CJL and Plot-Clocker!

January 24, 2015

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON THE PLOT CLOCK: It’s a four-act “map” of a story, which can describe both the experiences a character is likely to undergo and her likely responses to those experiences. That’s it, in a nutshell. But time and time again, people’s applications of the Plot Clock have surprised and impressed me.

This was the case with Dr. Mark Winton, Criminal Justice Lecturer at UCF, who wrote, after a recent Plot Clock presentation, Thank you for the fascinating workshop. I was not familiar with the Plot Clock, but it made complete sense when I started thinking about an academic piece I am working on, where I trace the lives of two genocidal perpetrators and what led to their outcomes. It is really a useful model in studying how people become criminals.

Wow! Right?

To learn more about Dr. Winton’s work, visit his YouTube channel, Understanding Violence, where he discusses, among other topics, serial murder, sex crimes, and profiling.

Want to know more about the Plot Clock? We wrote the book on it! Check out PLOTTING YOUR NOVEL WITH THE PLOT CLOCK on Amazon.

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Talking About Plot for Writers: Are We Wired for Story?

January 21, 2015

AT MY RECENT PLOT-CLOCK PRESENTATION, we discussed how humans seem hard-wired to respond to certain story elements: the hero’s call to adventure; her failures leading to an all-is-lost moment; the changes she must make to face the challenges required of her.

We talked about mythologist Joseph Campbell’s discovery of an archetypal “hero’s journey” based on myths of many cultures and his book THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES, which reveals the commonalities he found.

Writer Kathy Elbert mentioned Lisa Cron’s book WIRED FOR STORY, and Cron’s TED Talk. And we affirmed our gratitude to screenwriter Christopher Vogler, who refashioned Campbell’s ideas, in THE WRITER’S JOURNEY, making of them sturdy tools with which we can shape our work for greatest resonance with that story-instinct that seems embedded in our DNA.

And, too, we remembered Dorothy, who was compelled, as so many heroes are, to find—against steep odds—her own way home.

Want to learn more about plot? Our book PLOTTING YOUR NOVEL WITH THE PLOT CLOCK is available on Amazon!

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Top Writing Coach Tip #18: Rest, Reset, Recommit

January 18, 2015

I GOT A LOT OF REST OVER THE HOLIDAYS and came back reset. I also recommitted to a daily journaling practice—three long-hand pages per day, as prescribed by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way, and it’s really made a difference. I’m both surer-footed in my interactions with others and more personally creative. And that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Now, I’ve accepted a challenge set by Seth Godin’s colleague Winnie Kao. The idea is to “ship” one blog post every day. In her short, inspirational video, Winnie says when she shipped daily throughout the month of December, she was more productive and confident all around. And that’s nothing to sneeze at, either!

Stay tuned.

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Getting Your Book “Reviewed”

December 9, 2014

SO YOUR BOOK IS FINALLY OUT! YAY, FOR YOU!!! NOW, I BET, you’re seeking reviews to help your hard-won publication make a splash in the marketplace. You may have asked your author pals to review your work on their blogs or Facebook pages, or you may have paid Kirkus to do the job.

But did you know that there are actually several levels and types of book reviews? If all you want for Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Solstice is a just-right review, take a look at the WHERE WRITERS WIN site’s latest article on the topic, “What is an Editorial Review? And How is It Different from a Review?”

Merry, Happy, Joyous Everything, to you.

* * *

Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

* * *

Previous 1 … 5 6 7 8 Next