Archive for the ‘Tips for Beginners’ Category

Building Worlds with SFWA

by Jeffe Kennedy

It’s apropos that “Lonen’s War,” book one in my Fantasy Romance series, “Sorcerous Moons,” is featured in the first SFWA Fantasy StoryBundle. That’s because the fantastically smart and helpful folks in SFWA helped me out with a worldbuilding challenge.

The Voodoo of Research

by Tim Susman

Since it’s fall and ghosts are in the air, I thought it might be a good time to talk about my research into vodou/voodoo, the religion and spiritual practices that coalesced on Haiti among the African slaves there and spread to America, most commonly and famously in New Orleans (for the purposes of this article, I use “vodou” to refer to the Haitian religion and “voodoo” to refer to the New Orleans practices).

Guest Post: Instagram For Authors

by Mary Rosenblum

How can I advertise my book with photos?
I hear that all the time when I suggest Instagram to author clients, followed by the sound of the exit door slamming on the author’s heels… 

But Instagram is a huge and well established social media platform, and if you’re writing for teens through mid-twenties readers, this is the social media you want to master.  Even Forbes Magazine has taken note of Instagram’s role with an article Can Instagram Keep People Reading Books?

How to Write with a Co-author

by Stewart C Baker

Fiction writing is often presented as an intensely solitary pursuit, but look at the end of a published novel some time and you’ll see the author thank at least a dozen people for their help. And then there’s co-authoring…

Don’t Tweet Your Rejections

by Shanna Swenson

Rejection is one of the worst parts of writing. When you get a story or novel rejected by an editor or agent, it stings. Your first instinct may be to go online and seek comfort and commiseration by letting your followers know what you’re going through. But stop and think before you spread the news of your rejection all over social media.

Finding That Elusive Writing Time

by Anthony Izzo

Next to people wondering where a writer’s ideas come from, the question I hear most is “How do you find the time to write?” Currently, I’m working on my 18th novel. Like many other writers, I hold a day job. With a 9-5 job, family obligations, and other responsibilities, how do you find time?

Writer’s Guide to Twine

by Aidan Doyle

Twine was created by Chris Klimas in 2009 and is “an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories.” Simply put, it’s a program that makes it easier for writers to make their own “Choose Your Own Adventure” style fiction. There are a number of tools for writing interactive fiction, but Twine is one of the simplest and most popular.

Four Strategies to Gain Early Reviews for New Releases

by Intisar Khanani.

Last spring I released my third fantasy novel, after three years between books. Since I indie pub, I decided to take a couple extra months to make sure I planned for early reviews. I’m here today to share why early reviews are important, and the strategies I used to gain those reviews.

How to Land Pitch Meetings in Hollywood

by Joshua Sky

A big part of selling scripts and landing writing assignments is pitching material in Hollywood. These dealings are nurtured through a series of meetings that you can get in a variety of ways. Let’s explore how to land and get the most from these meetings.