Latest Story

Discover Your Author’s Brand

April 27, 2013
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Branding is a simple concept. For an author, in a nutshell, it’s what people expect when they hear your name attached to a book (or story). If you think of the name Mark Twain, or Stephen King, or Toni Morrison, or J.R.R. Tolkien . . . many things likely pop into your head. For me,…

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Proper Persistence for Writers – Or How Long Should I Keep Trying To Get Published?

April 6, 2013
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In emerging-writer discussions, I often hear versions of this question: How long do I keep trying if I’m not seeing any results in my pitches to agents or publishing houses? There are many ways to approach the answer. You can just buy into Winston Churchill’s…

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Your Novel Needs a Second Story

February 12, 2013
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One of the keys of a successful novel is often the presence of two (sometimes more) major storylines. Unfortunately, as a book doctor/novel editor, I often see manuscripts-in-progress that are just too stingy in this regard. I recently read a review of a movie that…

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Do You Practice Creative Contemplation?

January 15, 2013
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Writers, how patient are you? Do you really listen to what your stories are trying to say before you try to tell them to others? Do you give your stories…

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Secrets of Goblins and Good Writing

December 19, 2012
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I’ve in the middle of reading, with considerable delight, William Alexander’s debut fantasy novel Goblin Secrets. It just won a National Book Award for Young People’s literature, and it’s a…

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Six Writing Tips from J.R.R. Tolkien

December 8, 2012
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Are you a fan of The Hobbit? A Lord of the Rings geek? Perhaps you just enjoy a good story, well told. If you’re a writer, here are some tips…

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Thanksgiving with a Twist – The Power of Words

November 20, 2012
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“Thanksgiving with a Twist,” by Moira Allen (reprint from www.Writing-World.com) It’s traditional, at this time of year, to write an article about the importance of “giving thanks.” If you searched…

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November Hodgepodge – Being a Writer

November 11, 2012
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Don’t, please, get precious about your working methods. . . . The more you humor your inadequacies by compensating with phony environment, the tougher your work will become. You have…

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The Cat Sat on the Mat – John le Carré on Plotting

November 10, 2012
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John le Carré is the pen name of David John Moore Cornwell, the British author of espionage novels, including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier,…

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– Douglas Clegg, author of Neverland, Isis, and other acclaimed novels