Why do you write? That question has surfaced various times over the years, usually in writer’s groups meetings or at conferences. More recently, it’s become the one question that I believe has determined my path. It’s pretty easy at first, when your heart is full of the marvel of creating, and your eyes are full […]
The Power and the Fear of Creating
September 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This summer we’ve been talking about where story ideas come from. I hope we inspired some ideas. But sometimes when we say, “I don’t know what to write about,” it’s our way of saying that our dreams are bigger than our current abilities. Our imagination is powerful, and our skills may seem small by comparison… […]
Writing Lesson 3.36 – Contests–My Perspective as a Judge
June 1, 2012 By 2 Comments
After entering contests and being a part of critique groups for a while, I felt brave enough to volunteer as a contest judge. What does it take to be a judge? It’s more than, “do I like this story or not?” You do need a working knowledge of the different elements of the writing craft: […]
Writing Lesson 3.35 – Contests–Why Should We Enter?
May 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I entered my first contest at about age sixteen and didn’t enter again until about eight years ago. Since then, I’ve made it a point to find at least one a year to enter—usually more than one, and with more than one story. I’ve made it to first-round finals several times, but I’ve never made […]
Writing Lesson 3.29 – Will an Agent Want You?
March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In the current publishing climate it’s very hard to find an agent or a publisher who will represent you. In a blog from Books and Such on Feb 28, 2012 Rachel Kent made an interesting statement we should all heed. I’m focusing on one item from her list. Rachel states, “Today I’m going to cover […]
