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 →
Posts Tagged: writing
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 →
Writers conferences are fuel for my creativity. Gathering together with hundreds of other creatives generates a vibe, a visceral buzz and hum of energy that floods my circuits with a desire to knock out twenty-thousand words at one go. I love writers conferences. At least the ones I’ve been to. I started attending writers conferences in 2016 with the Pikes Peak Writers Conference (my home, first conference, and first love). That year I met NYT bestselling authors Kevin J. Anderson, Rachel Caine, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeff Lindsay, and Wendy Corsi Staub. My story idea–for I… Read Article →
I got comfortable with the idea of being a self-published author. Then a publisher said yes.
Check out my post Consistency vs. Routine in the latest Pikes Peak Writers Writing from the Peak.
All authors looking to get traditionally published must endure the submission process. Novelists must query and write synopses. Writers of shorter works must follow submission guidelines for periodicals and anthologies, no two of which agree on formatting rules. It’s exhausting. Submission fatigue is a real thing. Writers need to recognize it and address it. Workshops, podcasts, books, articles, and social media groups everywhere tell you that you must keep submitting. A writer must always have something out there getting looked at by somebody for publication. Get a rejection, submit to the next market on your… Read Article →