Online Presence Linkage for Writers
This Saturday past, I facilitated the Online Presence Special Interest Group at the New England Regional SCBWI (#nescbwi10) conference in Fitchburg, MA. The group was filled with marvelous people with great questions, and we talked about everything from Twitter lists through the difference between LiveJournal and WordPress. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing up articles based on the things discussed, but in the meantime, here’s a collection of links for folks still sorting out how to...
Read MoreAre You a Hand-Writer or a Type-Lover?
Every day, we put words on a page. Some of us use pen or pencil. Some of us tap away at keyboards. Most of us do both, handwriting grocery lists, personal notes, even plot outlines, later typing emails, memos, and whole scenes. Some folks lean more toward the paper route, while others tap away on smart phone keyboards instead of grabbing the nearest pencil stub. Either way, we’re inputting words and data, right? Maybe. Some time ago, I was at a Neal Stephenson talk hosted by the Harvard...
Read MoreAttending the NESCBWI conference? A few handy tips.
If you’re a YA or kidlit writer in New England, chances are you’ve heard of the regional NESCBWI conference. I’m going for the first time this year (excited!) and am in list overdrive, writing out things I need to collect for the conference (chocolate), work out before the conference (the calories from the chocolate), and generally do before the conference (buy more chocolate). Of course, since this is only my second conference, I’ve also been spending a fair amount of time on the...
Read MoreNo More Book Signings? (at Popmatters.com)
Book tours and author visits are a large part of publishing’s promotional band wagon. With author visits new titles get a top spot in stores and fans get to see their favorite writers up close and personal. More popular than simple author appearances, though, are book signings. They offer a chance to chat, but also to own a personalized piece of a given author’s work. Yet, despite their popularity, book signings may soon be going the way of the dodo. Read more @...
Read MoreToo Much Pop Culture? A Look at Lise Haines’ Girl in the Arena
Is there such a thing as too much pop culture? Can characters drink too much Coke, play too much Xbox, and eat too many power bars? (*cough* Tom Clancy, *cough*) Or does the instant reader familiarity and cheat relatability make this level detail of worthwhile? Read more @ PopMatters…
Read MoreThe Case For Writing Poorly, Or Using Straightforward Prose
Writing is a numbers game–the more books you sell, the more money you make. If you write fast, it’s even better. Getting a book out every year for ten years (Jasper Fforde’s goal), if you sell enough, could be quite lucrative (and your hourly rate might actually approach positive numbers). Yet writing, good writing, takes time to craft. Story, characters, and prose itself do not happen overnight, particularly if you’re fond of tight dialogue and polished writing. But here’s the...
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