Okay. I know this is sort of a “guy thing” but please watch these three minutes of incredible awesomeness!
It has nothing to do with writing, but everything to do with creativity. Be inspired.
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Show or Tell: How Do You Know?
As we discussed last week, it’s okay to tell at times, but in fiction you want to show the important, emotion-laden scenes. That way the reader gets the vicarious experience along with the character. So how do you know when you’re telling rather than showing? Here are a few tips:
Beware the dreaded –ly adverbs.
“Get out of my novel, you –ly adverbs!” Alice said angrily.
Ah-ah-ah! Any time you …
News You Can Use
Pretend You Are on an Airplane - an excellent article on how to be more productive in your work day.
How to Handle Criticism - This is the bane of a writer's existence. So how do you handle it when others criticize?
How Not to Write a Book Review - Three golden rules for those who review books.
Before You Send Another E-mail - Read this post by Seth Godin. For example: "If this e-mail …
The Greatest Book (Ever) on Sales & Marketing
by Jim Rubart
Today's guest post is from Jim Rubart. He and I first met at the Mt. Hermon writers conference where I infamously rejected him (see #10). A bit about Jim. Since 1994, Jim has worked with clients such as AT&T/Cingular, RE/MAX, ABC and Clear Channel radio though his company Barefoot Marketing, but his passion is writing fiction. His debut novel Rooms released in April 2010 …
Show, Don’t Tell
I’m From Missouri—SHOW me!
Okay, truth be told, I’m from Oregon. But in the 30 years I've been editing fiction, I've discovered a number of issues almost all writers face, regardless of how much they've written or been published. If I had to pick the top issue I see over and over, it would be Show, Don't Tell.
What, you may ask, does that mean? It's actually pretty simple. It's the …
News You Can Use
45 Ways to Blog as a Novelist - Do you have blogger's block? Here are some great tips for finding stuff to blog about.
Why You Are Receiving Rejections - Nathan Bransford weighs in and is both simple and profound.
Read Your Old Tweets - If you are an aggressive tweeter you're stymied if you want to review your archives. The linked tool is an amazing way to pull them all into one document for …
Book of the Month – August 2011
by Steve Laube
The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs (published by Oxford in June 2011) is this month's "Book of the Month." I recommend you pick up a copy and enjoy the experience for yourself.
It seems a little odd to read a book about reading. But for those of us who are in the "business" of creating books it is always interesting to read a wise person's take on …
Fun Fridays – July 29, 2011
Shakespeare as you've never heard it before! A bit less than four minutes of utter genius.
Bon Voyage — or A New Adventure?
On Monday, Barbour Publishing informed the industry that they will be discontinuing their Heartsong Presents imprint. After 18 years and 1,000 titles, it will end its run in December 2011. Publishing has always been fluid. Steve Laube says that it is important to stay flexible because “A publisher can dramatically change directions after a meeting on Tuesday.”
I never thought Heartsong …