Reading & Writing
Read and Therefore Write On by Brenda J Wood
One of my great pleasures in life is reading, but guilt sneaks in whenever I sit down to imbibe in a gluttony of chapters. “A waste of time,” whispers the little voice in my head. “You must vacuum, dust, write something, or cook a meal … anything but read.” Such lies must be refuted instantly…. Read more »
Hiring Professionals by Pamela Mytroen
Hiring Professionals I always have two or three novels on the go beside my bed. So, with that perspective, I will offer my thoughts on why novelists should hire professionals. The Book Cover If I love a book cover, I’ll check out the author and then the book blurb, in that order. If I don’t… Read more »
No Limits or Know Limits? by Tracy Krauss
No Limits or Know Limits? We can’t all be good at everything – no matter how much we wish it were true. Knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses is the first step toward success no matter what the situation, but never more so than for those hoping to ‘make it’ as an independent author. Putting… Read more »
Choosing a Writing Method by Pamela Mytroen
What writing method do you use for short stories or novels? There are many. There’s the Skeleton Method that Angela Hunt uses (and taught us at our Fall Conference). Or there’s the Chapter Method where the story is first summarized in one or two sentences and then each chapter is summarized on index cards. The… Read more »
Planning for Productivity by Tracy Krauss
Planning for Productivity I love sitting down periodically with a calendar, day planner, and a lengthy list of projects, chores, and dreams. For me, making the plan is half the fun! The key to success, however, is not allowing stress about failed resolutions derail my plan altogether. When I see that something isn’t working out,… Read more »
5 Top Writing Fears by Janice L Dick
We all have fears and insecurities as writers. If we don’t, we may be in denial. I created a list of my five top writing fears. Yours may differ in the order or the content, but you may also find some that match. “A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than… Read more »
The Soup of Writing by Brenda J Wood
The Soup of Writing “So it’s writing time again,” I tell myself. I’ve been whispering it for weeks now. Today I shout it. Nobody is listening and that includes me. Surely I am not alone. Surely one or two of you have experienced the dreaded dry spell of summer and perhaps even fall and winter…. Read more »
Cultivating a Love of Writing by Janice L Dick
I have loved the written word as long as I knew it existed. One of my favourite early memories is of accompanying my mother to the grocery store and reading as many Little Golden Books as possible while she paid for her purchases. Yes, in those days ,children’s books were displayed next to the checkout… Read more »