How does a writer cope with the often inevitable, painful jagged edges of her broken dreams and failed hopes? If you’ve ever asked yourself that question, take heart. I found one answer this week in a long (and particularly good) article. The Seven Stages of Publishing Grief (or Hello Darkness, My Old Friend) by Robin LaFevers […]
Month: October 2012
Are You a Marathon Writer?
Writing students, those I critique, and people in my writing workshops will sometimes question whether it is ethical to encourage fledgling writers. Why? Because the path to publication isn’t easy, and they will experience a lot of rejection along the way, and the “odds” are stacked against them. That’s all true. So why encourage new […]
Re-Learning Time Management Lessons
Because my toddler granddaughter is with me this week, I’ve been reviewing some “time management” ideas. Usually, with grandkids, I let everything go while they’re here. But this week I have deadlines and need to work. So it’s time to re-learn some lessons! I started with my own blog to see what has worked for […]
Are You a "How-To" Junkie…Like Me?
One of my daughters once said that I single-handedly kept the how-to genre alive. It could be true. Writing how-to books alone fill six book cases in my office. There are how-to’s of every writerly variety. How to plot. How to write dialogue. How to survive rejection. How to find your muse. How to write […]
To Change or Not to Change: That is the Question
During the conference I attended last week, I must have asked thirty people how their editor and agent “pitching” appointments went. Many of the writers were told to go ahead and submit their full manuscripts. Joy! Even more, though, had flaws and mistakes pointed out in their summaries and synopses…things that needed to change before […]