7 Favorite Books on Writing

Most authors have a list of  their favorite books about the writing process that they’d recommend to others.  Here’s my top seven: 1. Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass — via hands-on exercises and examples from successful novels, this workbook teaches authors how to “develop and strengthen aspects …

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The Eye of a Writer

Guest Blogger: Khaled Talib After I had finished writing my first novel, SMOKESCREEN, a thriller, I promised myself not to write another.  I wasn’t sure if I had energy left to struggle with the same problems and obstacles of writing:  the lack of time, rejection, and the frustration of revision.  …

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Headline News or Headline Blues?

Guest Blogger: Jon McGoran This past May, millions of people around the world joined together to protest how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are being silently forced upon them. In June, there were headlines about GMO wheat mysteriously appearing in a field in Oregon, and super fast-growing GMO salmon breeding with trout …

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When Does Your Writing Project Become a Novel?

Guest Blogger: Joshua Isard I began my novel, CONQUISTADOR OF THE USELESS, while sitting in a cafe and writing a short story which I’d had no intention to write. It just came out. A few weeks later it was accepted for publication in the excellent journal, PRESS 1, and I …

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Tomorrow Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Guest Blogger: Jenny Milchman As I write this, a journey of thirteen years is going to come to an end, and another trip is about to start. It took me eleven years to find a publisher for my debut novel, and twenty-one months after that to ready the book for …

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Concept: Your Story’s Hollywood Pitch

Guest Blogger: John Robert Marlow So, you have a great story, and you want to pitch it to Hollywood. Before doing that—grab a stopwatch, start the clock and answer this question out loud: What’s your story about? Tickticktick… When you’re finished, check the time. If your answer took more than ten …

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I, Judas: Faith & Reason

Guest Blogger:  Bob Mayer What if Judas is still alive and it appears the Second Coming is upon us? That’s the basic premise of my latest release, I, Judas: The Fifth Gospel.  The story takes place in the present and the inciting incident is the sudden appearance of an object …

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A Long Journey To Publication For A Story About Immortal Love

Guest Blogger: Alma Katsu Even though my first novel, THE TAKER, wasn’t published until last year, I’ve been writing on and off my entire life. However, my career in intelligence (yes, I worked for CIA) made it hard to pursue publication and I stopped writing for a long time. Then …

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A Career

Guest Blogger: Reed Farrel Coleman By the time this blog post appears, my thirteenth (GUN CHURCH, Audible.com) and fourteenth (HURT MACHINE, Tyrus Books) novels will be on the shelves—actual and virtual. Although I don’t get quite as excited by the release of my latest novel or novels, I do still …

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5 Things More Important Than Talent

Guest Blogger: Jane Friedman In the July/August 2011 issue of WRITER’S DIGEST magazine, I have a featured article, “Revising Your Path to Publication.” If you’re aiming for traditional publication, and you’re wondering how close you might be to reaching your goal, I highly recommend picking up the issue and reading …

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