By David E. Sharp Last month on The Writing Bug, I talked about the value of genre and how it operates as a tool to help readers find the right books. While genre categorization can be a bit of a nuisance to writers who don’t like fitting into boxes, we can find ways to useContinue reading “The IT Factor”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Pitches And Falling Elevators
By Renate Hancock I stood in front of the elevator watching the lights above the door illuminate one by one. Snow melted from my boots onto the floor beside my suitcase. I pulled my laptop case from my shoulder and stretched my neck, rolling my head from side to side. I’d made it through aContinue reading “Pitches And Falling Elevators”
Evolution of A Writer
By Brian Kaufman How do people end up as writers anyway? There isn’t a universal answer. The question, analogous to “How the hell did I get here?” seems worth rumination. My personal response has many facets, like a diamond. Or a 20-sided game die. A lot of my early efforts were mirrored later in myContinue reading “Evolution of A Writer”
Order! Order in the Manuscript!
By Katie Lewis Recently, my little sister asked for my advice about a novel she’s been planning for a while. As a person with ADHD, she struggles to complete tasks in general, especially when they must be done in a specific order. Knowing this, my first and most vital suggestion was that she not attempt to writeContinue reading “Order! Order in the Manuscript!”
Where Does Your Writing Fit?
By David E. Sharp I stumbled on an article on genre by Amy Rivers, Director of Writing Heights Writing Association that resonated with me. It describes a familiar struggle. A writer gets an idea, follows the inspiration, turns it into a story, and now must shove an original work into a predefined mold. And who is theContinue reading “Where Does Your Writing Fit?”
One Overwhelming Reason To Write
(Even Though It’s All Been Said Before) By Renate Hancock Writing isn’t a piece of cake because we all know it isn’t. It’s hard. It takes energy, discipline, and creativity to create something fresh and engaging enough that someone else will want to read it. And you know what they say: “It’s all been said before.” SoContinue reading “One Overwhelming Reason To Write”
Book Peddlers
By Brian Kaufman If you’re writing a novel, you almost certainly want to see it published. Before the contract is signed, you’ll struggle with the writing process—the elements of craft, from plot to setting. Once your book is edited, you’ll wrestle query letters, a synopsis, and another round of edits if your book is acceptedContinue reading “Book Peddlers”
Writing My Way Through 2022
By Shelley Widhalm In 2020, I was pretty much done with writing, overwhelmed with trying to keep my freelance writing and editing business afloat and supplementing it with a gig grocery store job. Despite my sort of giving up, I still went to conferences and belonged to writing groups like Northern Colorado Writers (see https://northerncoloradowriters.com).Continue reading “Writing My Way Through 2022”
Down in The Exposition Dumps
By Katie Lewis In 7th grade, my best friend lent me the first Wheel of Time book by Robert Jordan. As a veteran of Tolkien, including The Silmarillion, I was excited to dive into another high-fantasy series. Over a hundred pages in, after a detailed description of the Bel Tine festival and one village’s preparations, there was noContinue reading “Down in The Exposition Dumps”
What gets more attention? Description or action?
By Shelley Widhalm If you want to keep readers turning pages, the key is balancing description with action. Readers get bored with too much description, and they get overwhelmed with all action and no breaks. Action in a novel or short story keeps the pace moving at a rapid clip, while description can slow theContinue reading “What gets more attention? Description or action?”
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