On April 30, Linda Joy and Brooke offered this conversation to the NAMW community. Here we talk about writing in the digital age, complete with insights about how to stay on track, write fast and in flow, and ideas for building your platform by starting with a free or low-cost ebook. Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Archives for 2012
Why to Launch Your Publishing Career with an Ebook
April 2, 2012 By 3 Comments
Lots of aspiring authors are met with rejections from agents and editors because they don’t have enough of a platform. A platform is anything you’re doing (currently or in the works) that supports your author profile, gives you visibility, and shows a publisher that you have what it takes to reach customers. Things that automatically count against you include: no email list; no or few Facebook friends or fans; no Twitter account or followers; no website. You MUST build your online presence if … [Read more...]
Memoir Writing Tips | Your Journey to MemoirLand
March 29, 2012 By 2 Comments
Memoir is a very popular genre right now, one that draws people from all ages and all levels of experience. It's truly a grass roots movement about the passion to tell and share our stories. When we write a memoir, we embark upon a journey—to the land of memory, to the heart of who we are and were, to the past, and to discovery--of aspects of ourselves, of new insights into our family and the times. We honor those we loved, and we name things that were never named. The memoir becomes an … [Read more...]
The Value of Fast Writing
March 25, 2012 By 2 Comments
Fast writing, as it turns out, is a bit of a controversial topic for some creatives. I’ve talked to a lot of writers lately who believe the creative process should not be rushed, and that doing so means sacrificing value—for the writer and the reader. I want to take on this topic today to offer a different perspective on fast writing, and to talk about what it can do for you and why it’s a good practice. When I’m talking about fast writing I’m talking about diving into your content. I’m talking … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Make Your Prescriptive Writing Shine
March 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
1. Use subheads. Subheads tell your reader what to expect, and they can help you stay on point, too, by functioning as content containers. Think of the content that falls under any given subhead as a substance going into a bucket. Maybe you have water, cornmeal, flour, etc., and goal is not to mix or have your substance spill out or flow over. These ingredients are your content. If you’re writing about dating, for instance, you might have a chapter about getting back into the scene after … [Read more...]
The Difference between Dusty Projects and “Emotion Pits”
February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Many writers have a dream to finish a project that is in desperate need of oxygen, dying a slow death on some shelf or computer file. I’ve worked with lots of writers who don’t just have writing a book on their bucket list, but writing a particular book. People who fall into this category often either have experienced divine inspiration (they KNOW they have a good idea, and it’s just a matter of acting on it: FINISHING), or they’ve had a life–shaping or –altering experience that they feel called … [Read more...]
Write Your Book | Beginnings and Freewriting
February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Writers often tell me: “My book has been whispering in my ear for a long time. I finally decided to listen to it.” That’s what our stories do—they invite us in and invite us to listen. As we listen to that small voice, a yearning comes over us to write down our memories. After all, they are special to us, they have formed who we are. We ARE stories, we contain within us worlds of amazing adventures and soul stirring moments along with moments of heartbreak and soaring happiness. We have … [Read more...]
Unplug, disconnect, and disengage
February 16, 2012 By 1 Comment
I’ve written some about the creative payoff of disconnecting from Internet, email, and phone. We all know doing so creates space for creativity and productivity, but mostly we think of unplugging as something that would be nice, that we should do. We might even consider it a luxury. In fact, if you can make disconnecting part of your writing practice, you will find that it’s much more than a luxury. It’s an invaluable component of staying on track with your writing goals. One of the best … [Read more...]
