Rejection—16 Tips for How to Handle It as a Writer (Part 1 of 3)
Rejection is part of a writer’s life no matter if you are writing books, scripts, speeches or blogs. Every writer has been rejected at some point in letters, emails, texts, phone calls and in person. And it never gets easier.
‘Tis the Season: Gifts for Writers & Readers
’Tis the season to celebrate and to make our list for Santa. I always loved writing to Santa as a child. It was magical that I could write a letter to someone like him and know he received it. I knew that because at least one of my requested gifts always appeared under the tree on Christmas morning, except when it was too large or unrealistic, like the horse I wanted one year or the penguin.
These days my lists go to my husband who tries to offer a combination of items off my list with things he picks out to surprise me.
My list always includes things writers would love. Here are a few items I’ve found and dreamed up this year:
Embracing the Unknown: The Role of Research and Learning in Writing
Lately I have moved from writing to research. I am in the process of pitching my novel and using the waiting period between pitching and the inevitable edits to dive into a new story. I have a rough idea of what I want to write, including the prologue and opening scene, but I also have huge, gaping holes in my knowledge. This explains the huge stacks of books lining my desk and the hours I’ve spent learning everything from creation myths to Jungian psychology to black holes. I am diving down rabbit holes in search of my story.
Previously Published: What It Means and How It Affects Your Work
You want to get your work out there. You want to gain an audience. You want to build a platform. And so you post. It’s so easy. There are countless platforms and opportunities from personal blogs and websites to sharing sites, like Wattpad, not to mention digital media outlets. The problem is reckless posting can undermine your ultimate goal.
NaNoWriMo: What You Will Learn
Last week, I shared my reasons for joining the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Challenge to write a 50k book in 30 days. But I have more to say about the benefits of taking on such a large writing challenge.
Anytime you can set aside a chunk of time to write is a good thing, but dedicating an entire month to a huge goal allows you to be heroic about it.
NaNoWriMo: Why It’s a Good Idea
One month. Fifty thousand words. No problem, right? Right. Even with a major holiday involving family, stress, traveling and other distractions, you can do this. It’s November. So it’s time for NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month challenge of writing a 50k word book in the month of November.
Let Us Read…Banned Books
Better yet, stop banning books altogether. The truth is the act of banning books is on the rise. According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), the organization that compiles data on challenged and banned books and generates the Top Ten Challenged Books List, there was a 17% increase in book censorship complaints last year. In a typical year, 10% of books are banned and pulled from the shelves and it’s time for it to stop.
Freelancing Is More Than Magazines: 26 Other Markets to Try
The traditional view of a freelance writer is someone who spends her day querying magazines and writing articles and many do. But the majority of independent writers earn their money through client work. It’s more consistent and offers more opportunity than the magazine market.
Ebooks Versus Paper Books
I am often asked why I don’t read ebooks more? Especially given my space issue with my large library. What can I say? I prefer paper. I want to hold the book in my hand and feel the pages as I turn them. I want to browse my shelves and pull books down to flip through old favorites and to search for my next adventure to read. Scanning electronic shelves is not the same. There’s no anticipation of seeing titles from across the room and remembering the moment I found it waiting in a book store for me.
Too Many Books…I Don’t Think So
Today’s blog is a bit of a rant about my library—my personal library. Now, I am the first to admit I own a lot of books. Just over 7,000 at last count. But that does not make me weird or a hoarder. I simply refuse to believe that books can be hoarded. A library is a treasure of stories, worlds and knowledge, not a pile of rotting papers moldering in the corner. There’s a difference.
The Power of Three
You could argue that three is the most powerful number in the world. It is found throughout literature, music, and movies. It is the reason Mozart’s music, filled with major and minor thirds, soars. It is what governs photographic composition. And it forms the basis for most story structures.