Featured Fiction: Introducing Melanie Dickerson

By on September 5, 2014 in Editing Basics

Today, we’re celebrating one of the authors who helped us make the Frasier Contest possible. Melanie Dickerson helped judge the Frasier, and her new book The Princess Spy, came out this Thursday!

Q: Melanie, can you give us a little blurb about your book?

In this Medieval romance based on The Frog Prince fairy tale … Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha—one of the few who speaks his language—understands the wild story.

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The What and Why of Writing: Story Irony

By on September 4, 2014 in Beth Vogt, How do I Pitch my Book?

Susie May Warren, the founder of My Book Therapy (MBT) hosted the first online MBT Pitch and Promotion seminar on August 23. The seminar was an opportunity to connect with writers and help them polish their story pitches. Coaches and attendees talked about elements that help us craft a strong pitch, including characters and stakes.

Attendees were also told to look for the Story Irony as a potential component to construct a strong pitch. Writers also talk about Dramatic Irony, so I’m clarifying the difference between Story Irony and Dramatic Irony and then explaining how you use Story Irony when you’re crafting a pitch

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Finding Balance in Writing & Life: Strength to Overcome Anxieties

By on September 3, 2014 in Encourage Me!, Writing Life

When I was younger, I used to bite my nails because of fear or anxiety. They’d bleed, become infected and generally look terrible. My grandma, a farmer’s wife, used to put black salve on them to help with the infection. As I grew older, I learned better coping mechanisms for dealing with fear and anxiety such as prayer, talking with others, and refocusing my perspective. And my nails grew. Because of my profession, I need to keep my nails short, but they’re still trimmed, neat, and polished when the mood strikes. However, yesterday, I found myself picking at a nail fragment on my ring finger. I kept tugging on it until it pulled free. This morning, I have an “owie” (I work with small children, so that’s a normal part […]

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Rachel Hauck, Princess Ever After

7 Ways To Wreck Your Career

By on August 28, 2014 in Book Therapist, Rachel Hauck

Unusual title, isn’t it? Choosing the negative instead of the positive.

But sometimes we have to hear the “what not” in order to grasp the “how to” in our writing journey.

We all make mistakes as we develop our careers, whether we intend to be full time or not. Mistakes are good. We learn from them.

But some can be costly.

Here are seven actions I think you should strive to avoid.

1. Genre hopping. Or, not deciding on a specific path. Over times, readers come to expect a certain kind of book from their favorite authors. I may be tired of a “Rachel Hauck” book, but my readers are not.

When starting out most of us would write for anything or anyone, and that’s a great way to get started, boost your publishing resume, but be careful you don’t spread yourself too thin.

I was blessed to have an agent in the beginning who kept me steered toward trade romance and chick lit I also believe the Lord really watched over my steps. Several opportunities I wanted to leap at but the doors closed. Or I felt uneasy about and didn’t pursue.

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