
Are You Published?
By Amy Rivers An author walks into a conference. She smiles, shakes hands, and introduces herself to fellow authors. Then someone asks the question, “are you published?” She immediately starts to sweat. Why you ask? Because this loaded question is frequently followed by some variation of the qualifying question, “Who did you publish with?”

Are You Living in A Novel?
By David E. Sharp Among my early writings was a theatrical production about an evening of fine dining gone horribly wrong. Faux pas are made. The kitchen catches fire. A food critic dies. Twice. You get the idea. We staged it in a restaurant with no stage. The audience simply enjoyed it from a uniqueContinue reading “Are You Living in A Novel?”
Craft Books: The Fine Dining Experience
By Shelley Widhalm Reading fiction is like having a sweet chocolatey snack, but reading and writing books is the main course, the wine and dessert combined. And if you haven’t heard it by now, reading all of the books is one of the foundational ways of improving your writing mind. If reading fiction is theContinue reading “Craft Books: The Fine Dining Experience”
A Story about Stories
By Brian Kaufman I would argue that almost every story idea has already been told. The secret to originality is two-fold. First, make the story truly yours (there being only one of you). And second, layer the thing until unpacking it is like separating strands of angel hair pasta. It helps to be a littleContinue reading “A Story about Stories”

Some Things Are Too Strange And Too Strong
By Katie Lewis Growing up, I was a voracious reader. I always completed the reading challenges to get my personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. I circled at least one book every month when we got the Scholastic book magazine back in ye olden days before the internet. And every summer, I completed the summerContinue reading “Some Things Are Too Strange And Too Strong”

Books I Blame
by David E. Sharp I was not born with a laptop and a mug of black coffee in my hands. This is a fact for which my mother is still grateful. It took a lot of tragic, misguiding circumstances to set me on my course to become a writer. The story, as I tell it,Continue reading “Books I Blame”

The Books That Made Me
By Brian Kaufman Along the lines of “everything happens for a reason,” my wife believes that everything that happens and everyone you meet is there to teach you something. I don’t argue with that—if you care to learn from your experiences, you will. The other thing to know is that I have read many booksContinue reading “The Books That Made Me”

A Conference Intervention
By The NCW Leadership Team We are all gearing up for the conference. It’s been a while. Yes, we’re putting on a hybrid event this year. Sure, we hosted an amazing virtual conference last year. But for some of us it’s time to step out of the Zoom box and see people IRL. It’s safeContinue reading “A Conference Intervention”

The Conference Survival Handbook
By David E. Sharp Blah, blah blah, conferences are a boon to writers. Blah, blah, blah, you are going to learn so much. Buckle up, because this the hard sell. Beyond the panels, the topical sessions, and the opportunity to connect with other writers, a conference grants you the unparalleled prospect of meeting industry professionals.

Adventurer: Answer The Sirens’ Call
By Katie Lewis Choosing to attend a writer’s conference can be a daunting quest. Beyond the general social anxiety, there’s also the practical worry of wanting to ensure we spend our limited time and money wisely. I put out the call to adventure, dear wanderers lo though we are sometimes wary of putting ourselves atContinue reading “Adventurer: Answer The Sirens’ Call”
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