Writers conferences aren’t cheap, but their benefits are priceless. Registration opened November 1st for the 30th Annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. America’s Friendliest Conference is where the spark of my writing journey caught flame. The benefits of writers conferences like PPWC keep the fires burning even when rejection letters or life’s interventions threaten to dowse them with stank bog water. If you’ve never attended a writers conference, for those that are con-curious, please, allow me to illustrate a few reasons to fork over the dough and go… Read Article →
Posts Tagged: writing life
Yes, Please! Talk to any stuck-in-the-chair writer and they will tell you the true value of caffeine. It gets the morning going and keeps the afternoon creative. Whether it’s coffee or tea for you (or, dear lord, soda), if you’re a writer you have your favorite and, like dog people vs. cat people, you’l defend your preference with vehemence. Now, most of us fit somewhere along the coffee versus tea spectrum. Some are fully in one camp or the other, claiming those on the other side are ignorant morons who want to destroy the world… Read Article →
Attend any marketing workshop or read any agent/editor/publisher blog and you will quickly learn that an author needs a strong social media presence. Authors must have a following even before they’re published. But, whether you’re a published author or new to the writing scene, there are some guidelines we must follow as we build our brand as writers on social media. First, writers MUST have a social media presence. Today, a writer’s Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram (plus Reddit and other sites) serve as the gateway for readers and writers to connect. Websites may be where… Read Article →
Part 3: Writers Groups and Networks Surprise! A Writer’s Toolbox was originally intended as a two-parter focused on print and digital resources I use to help me in my fiction writing journey. However, no writer’s kit is complete without actual human resources. You know, peers and pros, fellow writers and the knowledge and wisdom they provide both as individuals and in organized (sometimes) groups. So, this unforeseen third installment of A Writer’s Toolbox will look at the people who help me out. Thank you to every one of them! At a certain point (the earlier… Read Article →
Part 2: Print Resources This second part of A Writer’s Toolbox covers the print resources I keep close at hand to aid in my fiction writing. If you missed part one about the online resources I use, you can check it out here. I’ll admit, I’m not as quick to buy a printed book as I once was. With ebooks and audiobooks, I consume perhaps 20% of the print books I used to. So, when I do buy a book, it’s one I know I will reread. That goes double for instructional resources. The following… Read Article →
Part 1: Online Resources Writers need tools they can rely on to help build their best story, edit it, publish and publicize it. Unfortunately, much like the hardware section at Lowe’s, the plethora of options can be overwhelming. In this two-part series, I will share what I use and invite you to comment with tools you have in your writer’s toolbox. This first part will take a look at online resources. Let’s face it, most of the time it’s easier to throw a search into Duck Duck Go (or [sigh] Google) than it is to… Read Article →
This week I tried yet again to alter this website and failed in the attempt. Monday I spent over twelve hours trying to do something with my site I see so many writers do: provide a free ebook download to new subscribers. After reading this, if any of you have a solution you can break down into step-by-step instructions, please go to the contact form and clue me in. Please. Here is what I did. First, I researched an email marketing provider. I read reviews on MailerLite, MailChimp, and others. In the end I went… Read Article →