I’m delighted to say Douglas joins us for his year-end post “Writing and Reading for Pleasure” column with details of activities in 2017 and his thoughts for 2018. On writing My writing for pleasure year in 2017 has been more productive than in 2016. Completion of the self-editing process for drafts up to a final read…
In Defense of Dialogue in Fiction and Beyond – Karen Bridges | Guest Post
“… It’s there in the air between us, that electricity. It’s palpable. I can almost taste it, pulsing between us, drawing us together.” E.L. James, 50 Shades of Grey. Palpable electricity that pulses and you can taste it. What does it taste like? If you know the answer, share it with us in the comments…
Essential Tips for Creating a Novel That Sells to the Public – Sarah Robinson | Guest Post
Most people know how to read, but not a lot of them know how to write. Unfortunately, it follows that not everyone who knows how to write also knows how to write a novel, let alone write one that the average book reader would buy in a heartbeat. You might be one such novelist who…
The 10 Best Books on Writing – Amelia White | Guest Post
The problem with books on writing is that they can be written by anybody. Amazon is simply loaded with thousands of books that promise to teach people how to write faster, better, more efficiently, more concisely, and so forth. Yet, most of the books you read on this subject are just terrible because they are…
11 Habits You Should Get Rid of to Become a Better Writer – Catrin Cooper | Guest Post
You can’t be a successful writer by accident. The reason for this is that you have to develop as a writer and learn from other writers. It can take years and a lot of sleepless nights before you master it. You also need the guidance of your trusted mentors to help you along the way.…
Top 10 Tips for Beginner Writers – Rachel Summers | Guest Post
Whether you are writing a novel or other forms of creative writing, when it is your first time it can be a bit overwhelming knowing where to start. This guide is here to provide you with ten of our top tips when it comes to writing when you are a beginner. For those who are…
Seven Films About Writers That Will Motivate You – Amelia Dermott | Guest Post
Every single writer has moments where they don’t feel like much of a writer at all. It isn’t always easy to sit down in front of your manuscript and let loose into a creative frenzy. Sometimes, you need to step away for a little while in order to come back with a fresh perspective. Try…
Reading and Writing for Pleasure: June 2017 | Douglas Burcham
Douglas writes a follow up to his post in February 2017 in his Writing and Reading for Pleasure series with a reflective post on recent activity. Reading One Thursday I did not go shopping for short stories. My intention is to spend some time on looking at the latest fashions on book cover design…
The Brutal Truth Why You are a Bad Writer – Olivia Ryan | Guest Post
The majority of people don’t even perceive writing on a very conscious level. That’s because it seems so normal, so natural. They know how to do to it because they’ve been thought how to do it, and now they just…have it. Writing is created by language, and language is learned during our youngest years of…
How Long Should My Book Be? We Analyzed 272 #1 Bestsellers to Find Out – Tucker Max | Guest Post
A lot has been written in recent years about the average readers’ shrinking attention span. We all know that the non-stop news cycle and round-the-clock social media have sped up our consumption habits. But do these same habits translate to books? We decided to find out. We gathered a list of every New York Times…