“Today, I realize acceptances and those dratted rejections remain an integral part of the writing life.” ~~ Catherine Forster NOTE: Right now I’m adding new prompts every 4 weeks. The current ones were added on 12/05/22 and are in this color. Scroll past the top 2 articles to find them. Want me to post them
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Fall 2022 — Scintillating Starts Contest
“You don’t lose until you quit trying.” ~~Richard T. Brown, Jr. 2022 Scintillating Starts Opportunity Openings matter. They determine whether a potential agent will represent your book or move on. Writer Advice’s Scintillating Starts Opportunity is your chance to show how effectively you can grab and hold your readers and get feedback on what
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Summer 2022 — Writing Advice
“…an excellent way to stand out from the crowd.” ~~B. Lynn Goodwin Contests for IndieBooks Why do writers enter an indie or self published book in a contest? What do they hope to gain? Recognition. Publicity. Acknowledgment that helps you stand out from the group. Recently an agent–a fiction agent–state that my awards
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Spring 2022~~Writing Advice
No one can tell your story but you. I came across this article about what the Sun Magazine seeks for its Readers Write section. Everyone is eligible to tell their story. These are some of the best mini-memoirs you’ll find anywhere. If you’re not familiar, I hope you’ll take a look. What story would
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Winter of 2022 — Writing Advice
[What] all members of the human family need and deserve. ~~Michael Larsen Making Every Day a Holiday Written by Michael Larsen Now retired, Michael Larsen, PhD is the co-founder of the Larsen/Pomada Literary Agency in San Francisco, California. He speaks and teaches around the country on writing, agenting and the publishing industry. In
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Fall 2021~~Writing Advice
“Write from the heart.” ~~B. Lynn Goodwin (and many others, I’m sure) A Smorgasbord of Writing Advice EDITOR’S NOTE: Respected San Francisco literary agent Michael Larsen is one of the judges in this year’s writing contest run by Women’s National Book Association. Submissions closed recently. Since I am the administrator I recently sent Michael
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Summer 2021 ~~ Writing Advice
“Spread Social Media Love.” ~~ Debra Eckerling Support, Support, Support When I read Debra Eckerling’s article, “7 Ways Authors Can Support Their Author Friends: Kindled Spirits” I knew I had to share it with you. It’s full of ways you can support others, and when you offer your health, most will reciprocate. The abbreviated version
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Spring 2021 Writing Advice
“The only people who see the whole picture are those who step out of the frame.” ~~Salman Rushdie Writing Advice from Hillary Hauck Hilary Hauck’s publicist approached me about reviewing her book. My stack of reading material is quite tall, but I took here up on another offer: an article about her work. Read
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Winter 2021 ~~Writing Advice
“Take a risk. Meet the characters inside yourself.” ~~B. Lynn Goodwin– used in a brochure for a class she used to teach called A is for Acting. Why Enter Writing Contests? You polish your writing, imagining your audience. You read it over. Out loud. Does it say exactly what you want it to say?
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Fall 2020 Writing Advice
“Write everything in a Facebook post, or in an email, or in a tweet to the masses never sent.” ~~Leonora Desar Special thanks to Leonora Desar. I met this wonderful writer in one of Meg Pokrass’s Flash Fiction classes. The piece below originally appeared in New Flash Fiction Review in mid-September 2020. The narrator’s
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Summer 2020 — Writing Advice
“I write only because there is a voice within me that will not be still.” ~~Sylvia Plath Tips for Giving Feedback in Nonfiction Writing Groups https://brevity.wordpress.com/2020/06/22/tips-for-giving-feedback-in-nonfiction-writing-groups/#comment-119323 This insightful article, written by Sue Hann, is shared with permission. Respect each other’s privacy. Although someone might be writing about very personal things, this does not
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Spring 2020 — Writing Advice — Journaling in the Time of a Pandemic
Sentence Starts – Journaling in the Time of a Pandemic Since our bodies are confined but our minds are not, I’d like to share these sentence starts with you in case you could use a writing nudge as we shelter in place. I’ve been creating these writing prompts since 2004, then writing about
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