Dear writers who are afraid of the first draft, It's all right. As cliché as it might sound, we've all been there with a blank page hovering in front of us. Uneven plot lines. Characters with blue eyes one page and brown eyes twenty pages later. Ideas swarm around in our heads, but none make … Continue reading To writers who fear the first draft
Tag: nonfiction
POV talk: second person
There are many POVs with questions surrounding them. I want to break them all down and discuss the biggest concerns in different posts. Today, I'll talk about second person POV. SECOND person Second person is one of my favorite POVs to read. When it's done well, it creates a powerful story. It addresses the readers … Continue reading POV talk: second person
Virtual AWP Thoughts
Right as covid hit, I went to AWP (a national writing conference) for the first time. Half the panels were gone. Half of the bookfair was gone. I talk about it more in this post. Since covid is still going strong, AWP went virtual this year. I was nervous about it since ACES—which turned virtual … Continue reading Virtual AWP Thoughts
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
Should writers go to DV Con?
Earlier in 2020, I did a post on AWP vs ACES for conferences, but now, I've attended the inaugural DV Con conference. Since it was during a pandemic, they took a different approach that I hope AWP and ACES continues. DV Con was open specifically for diverse voices, including POC, LGBTQIA+ community, Deaf, blind, etc. … Continue reading Should writers go to DV Con?
Best books of 2020
I'm going to be more consistent with these. Like last year, I'll give you the Goodreads blurbs of my favorite books that I read this year. (I did it differently in 2017 and 2018.) Boy Oh Boy by Zachary Doss — Boy Oh Boy is a collection of queer fabulist stories and flash fictions told … Continue reading Best books of 2020
A writer’s journey (part nine) – getting published in a journal
Getting published in a journal was one of my hardest goals to hit. Writers take different paths toward this. Some submit through email. Others submit through websites like Submittable. Both have their pros and cons. Where to Submit? When I submit through email, I tend to not hear back from the publisher for months, but … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part nine) – getting published in a journal
Book review – Probably Someday Cancer (Spoiler Free)
"What are you afraid of?" she asked. I paused before answering. How much time did she have? "Everything," I said. Title: Probably Someday Cancer: Genetic Risk and Preventative MastectomyAuthor: Kim Horner Genre: NonfictionPages: 208 pagesPublication date: April 1, 2019 I wanted to read Probably Someday Cancer for a while now. I thought it would be an … Continue reading Book review – Probably Someday Cancer (Spoiler Free)
What I wish I saw more in books
I’ve read countless books and loved them, but I also feel that there are parts of life that many books don’t mention. There is so much that doesn’t make it to the bookshelves. As a disclaimer, most of the books I’ve read are YA fiction, so this is mostly criticizing that genre. But some of … Continue reading What I wish I saw more in books
How does a book become a book? — part one
Books become books in different ways, but they usually take the same general path. But how does that work? Here's a general sense from a manuscript to a book in hand. #1 — Decide trade vs self-publishing If you want to go into trade publishing, your next step is to get a literary agent. Once … Continue reading How does a book become a book? — part one
Robin LeeAnn 