Several years ago, I wrote a non-fiction book about the AK-47 rifle. It was not a gun book, per se, but a history about how this ubiquitous weapon changed the world, certainly the world of war. For those of you who never watch television, read the web or see a magazine, the AK-47 is… Read More Why Writing a Novel Is Like the AK-47 Rifle
A few weeks ago, I came across a review on Goodreads mentioning Laurie Colwin and how, in that reader’s opinion, she was one of the few recent authors who wrote about happiness. My curiosity piqued, I ordered one of her novels, Happy All the Time, through my local library, and I let myself entertain… Read More What Does It Mean to Write About Happiness?
Warning: I can get over-excited with my blog posts and pull an Agatha Christie sort of “I will make you wait until the very end to see the take home message.” Here it is, up front: Ask agents offering you representation for at least three client references. Contact them.
I’m pleased to welcome Kameron Hurley to the interview portion of the blog. Kameron is the author of the novels God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture–a science/fantasy noir series which earned her the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer and the Kitschy Award for Best Debut Novel.
Hello readers and writers! Today marks the first day in a month-long contest. The talented Katie McCoach at KM Editorial has generously donated a prize to the winner of the contest. Here’s what one lucky person will win: A free, professional critique and editorial review of your manuscript for the length of 50 pages. You’ll… Read More Contest Time!
For at least 16 consecutive days now, I’ve been averaging 5,000 words a day; that’s around 80,000 words in a little over 2 weeks. In the past, I’ve had certain occasional days where I wrote 8,000 – 10,000 words, but that often meant I was unable to write for the rest of that week.… Read More How to Write 5,000 Words a Day
When your manuscript is polished, your query letter honed to perfection and you’re ready to contact agents about representing your baby, you still aren’t done. Each agent you contact will have unique requirements, personal favorites as to how to oil your manuscript so it slips smoothly through the gears of their application process.
