Recently, I posted a review on Amulet of Wishes, and now I get the chance to interview the wonderful Rita A. Rubin. I hope you enjoy. What has influenced you the most as a writer? Other books, I'd say. Especially fantasy books. For Amulet of Wishes, did plot or characters come first? Characters. Derek and … Continue reading Author Interview — Rita A. Rubin
Tag: author
Author Interview — P.D. Alleva
Last week, I posted my book review of The Rose by P.D. Alleva, and now I have an exclusive interview with him. I hope you enjoy. Where do your story ideas come from? Dreams? Real life? What-if questions? Story ideas come from a mixed bag of dreams, real life, and what ifs. Typically the idea … Continue reading Author Interview — P.D. Alleva
Author interview — Arthur Swan
I got nineteen questions for you all, and I hope you enjoy. Thank you, Arthur, for this opportunity. Where did you grow up/live now? I grew up in Wilson, a small tobacco town in eastern North Carolina. I now reside in Los Angeles. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew … Continue reading Author interview — Arthur Swan
How to write an author bio for submissions
Author bios can seem difficult. It's impossible to narrow a person down to a few sentences. But writers also do the impossible all the time. My experience with this is limited to Submittable. Most places ask for a bio between three to five sentences long. Bios are simple and can have a bit of creativity … Continue reading How to write an author bio for submissions
Common writer mistakes #10
#10 — Adding too many details with commas Lately, I've had a few authors use commas to add detail after detail onto a sentence. But they don't realize how jam-packed the sentence becomes. Here are two fictional examples: Laurence came through the door, looking for answers, looking for something to turn his path around, and … Continue reading Common writer mistakes #10
Is “said” worthless?
In college writing classes, we sit in a tight circle, facing each other. Sometimes, we critique our own works; other times we discuss writing. But one time — and only once — everyone raised their voices against what I suggested. I disagreed with the author using the word "said" for every single dialogue tag. I … Continue reading Is “said” worthless?
How does a book become a book? – part three
If you missed the first two parts, here's part one and part two. #5 - Making your marketing plans Look at where you can submit your book to win awards. (I suggest the Writer's Market book for this. They list many places you can to submit to. They also come out with an updated version … Continue reading How does a book become a book? – part three
Book review – Flash Cards (Spoiler Free)
“To compare spring to a temple to say a tree is a god both are illegitimate metaphors but metaphors is all I have” Title: Flash Cards: Selected Poems from Yu Jian's Anthology of NotesAuthor: Yu JianTranslators: Ron Padgett, Wang PingGenre: PoetryPages: 144 pagesPublication date: September 28, 2010Publisher: Zephyr Press Lately, I've been looking more … Continue reading Book review – Flash Cards (Spoiler Free)
First lines given – #3
Welcome to First Lines Given! If that sentence confuses you, here's a link to where I explain what this is. Today's first line is by Ann Harrison-Barnes! (Happy early birthday, Ann!) She said: Such a sweet one! I rarely see snow, so I don't write about it often. Anyways, here's the result: On a cold … Continue reading First lines given – #3
For all the writers who want to quit
Sometimes writing may feel like a waste of time. Like we're getting nowhere. Like the world is just waiting for us to crumble and fall to our knees. But we're not built for that. We're writers with dreams to touch someone else's heart with words. Our writing lets us to spread our wings and reach … Continue reading For all the writers who want to quit
Robin LeeAnn 