Writing got you down? Time to learn a new skill. Become a classical musician in a few easy steps:
Isn’t it easy? Just like becoming a writer in a few easy steps?
Blog
I Hate Rejecting Great Books!
If you, as an author, feel beaten down by several rejections, perhaps you have this image of an agent reading your submission: (Agent sits down at computer, armed with a steaming cup of Uber Expensive Coffee.) “It is now time to go through my submissions!” (Agent rolls up sleeves and cracks her knuckles. An evil grin dons her face as she opens the first email.) “Aha! I can write a form letter …
What’s My (Last) Line?
Here are the sources of the last lines I shared last week: “Maybe loving dogs… “A Big Little Life, Dean Koontz’s book about his Golden retriever, Trixie. Actually, the ending “The sign now includes…:” comes from the afterword of that same book. Yeah, I cheated. But I thought they both were perfect, in their own ways. “But the good part is …” Shiloh, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. …
Plan Your Social Media Messaging (aka Dog Wags Tail)
Blogging and creating material for your social media can either control you or you can control it. There is no deep spiritual application on this issue. It is simply effective time management and discipline. Manage it, or it will manage you. It’s like a student who stays up all night to study before a big test because they were at the beach playing volleyball with friends the previous day. No one …
The Odd English Language: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
I came across an odd fact the other day. There is a two-letter word in English that has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is ‘UP.’ It is listed in the dictionary as an adverb, preposition, adjective, noun, or verb! (click here for the Oxford English dictionary link and keep scrolling down the page) There are over 30 definitions of the word! I cannot claim …
Fun Fridays – May 13, 2016
This fifteen year old had a dream as a young boy. To play the piano. One problem though. He was born without hands. The following two videos will show what he overcame:
Happily Ever After
Some people wonder why genre readers want to read the same thing over and over. Well, they don’t read the same thing all the time, and they have expectations. A primary expectation? A Happily Ever After ending. If you enjoy perusing book reviews on Amazon, you’ll find that many readers (primarily outside of genres, though genre fiction can have the first three faults as well), express similar …
A Good End
So, you’ve read the wondrous first lines of a book, been immersed in the journey through the rest of the pages, been enchanted and challenged, terrified and uplifted, educated and enlightened. And then it comes. The ending. The final words on the page to sum up all that you’ve read and experienced to this point. And these words, if chosen with wisdom and care, will echo through you, reminding you …
Should I Still Have a Website?
Lately, I have read a number of articles and had a number of conversations addressing the importance or unimportance of author websites. Since social media sites are supposed to be the magic marketing-potion for every author, stodgy old websites seem to be the domain only of out-of-touch sluggards. You probably have an inkling where I stand on the issue. Should an author have a website? Yes. If …
There is Power in Possibility
The publishing industry can be a challenge for someone with artistic sensibilities. The psyche can be worn down by disappointment, bad reviews, poor sales, and rejection by agents and editors. To be resilient in the face of such disillusion is a quality to be desired. I found this quote from Søren Kierkegaard (Danish philosopher and theologian 1813-1855) in his book Either/Or: “If I were to wish …