What writers can learn from the life and career of Carrie Fisher On December 26, 2016, my wife and I went to see the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The next morning I learned that Carrie Fisher had died. Like most people, I knew her for her iconic performance as Princess Leia in […]
Writers need to guard against making unhealthy comparisons to other authors As writers we read the work of others, we look at their books, and we notice their successes. Though this happens in any profession, writing is a more public endeavor, so making comparisons is harder to avoid. Yet we should strive to sidestep assessing […]
Last week we talked about the importance of knowing how many words we write per hour. I’ve heard experienced fiction writers who say they consistently clip along at 2,000 words an hour. They write four or more books a year. This boggles my mind. In the stratosphere of word counts, I’ve heard other writers claiming […]
Part of the writers gig is public speaking. You may aspire to this or you may shun it, but regardless, you the author will upon occasion be asked to make an oral presentation. When you do, be sure to record it. Just as you need to save everything you write and keep all your edits, […]
A few years ago literary agent Amanda Luedeke quantified what constitutes a “solid author platform.” Frankly, her numbers are overwhelming: This is daunting. Even more disconcerting is knowing that the number of blogs, websites, X accounts, and Facebook pages is growing much faster than the number of people who visit, follow, and view them. This […]
As I learn more about the business of writing, I am becoming increasingly aware of what I somewhat facetiously call “the dark side of writing,” that is, the imperative need to promote one’s own work. I am a writer, not a marketer; I enjoy humility while abhorring self-promotion. Yet, I know if many are to […]
Do you ever read a book and feel the author is your friend? This can be especially true if the book includes self-disclosure, as in a memoir styled account. After reading this type of book, I wish I could sit down and talk with the work’s creator: asking questions, sharing observations, and nurturing the budding […]