Writing and teaching both take an enormous amount of energy, skill, and commitment to do well. They also seem to go hand-in-hand as career paths. The list of successful writers who honed their literary craft while also teaching in schools and universities is immense: Stephen King, Joanne Harris, Phillip Pullman, and Maya Angelou to name…
The Biggest 5 Mistakes When Self-Publishing A Book – Charlie Svensson | Guest Post
You have probably heard the horror stories of people paying publicists, agents, or marketing companies to push their book, only to lose all their money and end up with nothing. You have also probably heard the horror stories about people who collaborate on books and end up cut out of the deal or having their…
Balancing Your Writing Career and Other Ambitions – Beau Peters | Guest Post
If you’re a writer, the written word is your craft. It’s what inspires and motivates you. However, if you write as a profession, you’re likely aware that the activity isn’t always so magical. There are times when you need to write, whether you like it or not. When you throw other activities into the mix…
How to Stay Organized as a Writer – Beau Peters | Guest Post
Writers are often creative and imaginative people. Unfortunately, that can also make them disorganized, at times. Creativity doesn’t necessarily have to mean clutter. In fact, surrounding yourself with disorganized files, a cluttered workspace, or other things that can contribute to a chaotic environment might do more harm than good. As a writer, having some sense…
Writing Short Stories: 5 Authors on The Craft of Short Story Writing – K.T. Mehra | Guest Post
There is magic in a great short story. Short stories can capture your imagination like nothing else, and in as short a time as your morning coffee break. How do you write a great short story that moves someone in just a few pages? We’ve gathered 5 world-famous authors on just that! Here’s 5 authors…
How to Write a Strong Female Character the Right Way – Jennifer Jacksons | Guest Post
Over the past decades, the term “strong female characters” has become a buzzword in the literary world. Strong female characters basically refer to those women in books, poems, and other works of literature who possess strong qualities and convictions. They are the female characters that women in real life ought to idolize. For the past…
Writing and Reading for Pleasure (July 2020): Douglas Burcham
Douglas Burcham writes another (maybe last) post in his “Writing and Reading for Pleasure” series. 1.0 Introduction On 1st June 2020 I celebrated being a writer for ten years. Writing is not a short-term activity. The first three years – a million words of draft modern fantasy fiction and then five years of not…
5 Tips on Writing for Children | Guest Post
Writing for children is not as easy as it seems. Compared to adults, children are more difficult to please, and their literary taste are harder to satisfy. When writing for children, it is always necessary to strike a balance between being amusing but not bewildering; reflective but not condescending; and distinct but not complex. If you…
How to Set up Your Author Website Quickly and Easily – Pauline Wiles | Guest Post
No doubt you’ve read plenty of sage advice about building a long-term livelihood as an independent author. One recommendation you’ve probably come across before is to establish a website early in your career. Why? Because even if you’re promoting your work widely on social media, and in online groups, it makes sense to have a…
What is Your Biggest Problem with Self-Publishing? – Joseph McLean | Guest Post
Everyone who’s getting into the self-publishing game is probably going to face a lot of problems. The self-publishing industry has become extremely competitive. As of 2017, the number of reported self-published titles went over 1 million. Now, as of 2019, the numbers may have doubled or tripled up. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: the self-publishing…