Over the past few weeks, some interesting questions have come my way from readers, up and coming writers, and published authors. I thought I’d take today’s blog to answer their questions publicly so we can all learn. Here we go: Q: As an unpublished author, am I shooting too high when I query well-established, wise agents? Should I instead look to get in on the ground floor with a newer agent? A: This is a great question. There is no reason for an unpublished author not to shoot for his or her dream agent. Or publishing house. Start at “the top” and see where you land. I had a saying when I started out, “Aim small, hit small. Aim big, hit big.” I figured if I shot for the stars […]
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Strategy #3: Brainstorming Secrets
As a young girl my friends and I used to pinky-swear that we wouldn’t share each other’s secrets. It became a sign of loyalty if you could keep the secrets of others, but a sign of a traitor if you could not. The adult world also has a large interest in secrets as well. Tabloids, spies, politicians, journalistic sources, countries and even pleading the Fifth Amendment in court centers around the secrets we keep. We all have secrets and usually they are something that we hold close to our heart. We keep these secrets for a variety or reasons like embarrassment or vulnerability. With our characters secrets can be a way to show their inner self and the level of trust they have built with their friends […]
Read the RestMay Writer’s Challenge Winner: Andrea Michelle Wood!
A horrible, cruel nightmare. Luke slouched into the hard plastic chair beside Savannah’s hospital bassinet. He dropped his head into his hands, blocking out the sight of the faded blue-green divider curtain that surrounded his daughters exam room and the extensive collection of monitors and machines huddled around her bed. It all felt so real. Too real. If only he could just wake up. Savannah’s whimper instantly snapped Luke back to reality. The flimsy curtain did little to drown out the constant commotion from vortex of the emergency center. Every deliberate footfall of rubber soled shoes, every ring of the phone lines at the nurses’ desk, every beep of every monitor, every tick of the institution style clock mounted on the wall, even the occasional flicker from the fluorescent glare […]
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When Things Heat Up, Part 2: I’m Melting! I’m Melting!
Remember in the Wizard of Oz when the Wicked Witch of the West caught on fire? Bystander Dorothy did what any concerned person would do. She picked up a bucket of water and tossed it onto her. Sounds logical, even downright heroic, doesn’t it? The only problem with that is it was the wrong this to do. The remedy did more harm than good. I can hear the witch screaming, “I’m melting! I’m melting!” How many times have you experienced someone tossing water on your fire, only to give you a meltdown? Well-meaning people, especially those closest to us want to help us. The try to do what they think is best for us, particularly when it comes to our writing. They say things like, “well, honey, don’t get your […]
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