Nailing Writing Assignments: Tips from a Teen Author
By 14-year-old author Risha Chaurasia Writing. I’m sure we’ve all come face to face and struggled with it at least once in our lives. From working on a school essay to scrambling to find the right words, writing is one challenging job. I’m here to make it slightly easier. Here we go! 1. Become a…
Why Great Stories Need ‘Flawed’ Characters
But what is drama without an interesting character? Even the most intense, thrilling, explosive-ridden popcorn movie relies on character for the drama. Take 007 for example. The James Bond films don’t pull in millions of people for the chase scenes alone. On the contrary, they are more interested in how James Bond himself, with all his…
6 Ingredients Editors Are Looking for in Your Short Stories
By mixed-media artist and editor of The Ekphrastic Review Lorette C. Luzajic. Even the most seasoned writers can find the submission process intimidating. You write out your heart and soul and then wait for the judge to weigh in on your words. You might be waiting for months on end, fingers crossed, only to have your hopes dashed when…
6 Ideas for Marketing Your Book on the Cheap
By Willie Handler, author of two satirical novels, The Road Ahead and Loved Mars Hated The Food. I’ve heard so many authors complain that what they hate the most about the publishing process isn’t querying or editing, it’s marketing. And no wonder. Marketing requires a completely different set of skills and has nothing to do with your…
11 Short Story Forms to Expand Your Writing Practice
By mixed-media artist and editor of The Ekphrastic Review Lorette C. Luzajic. Has your writing practice become too predictable? Do you feel like you are always telling the same story, in the same way? Short fiction writers might stimulate imagination by trying poetry on for size, or by taking a writing workshop. Reading short fiction by other authors is…
4 Simple Writing Rules That Will Give You an Edge
By Author Darrell Rios The basic rules of writing will tell you to focus on expressing yourself rather than impressing your audience. They will also emphasize that following all the syntax rules of writing is imperative to proving your professionalism and showcasing your skill. They are right. However, writing rules don’t have to be complex.…
Writing Historical Horror: Being a Servant to Two Masters
By Author Kelly Evans What, exactly, is historical horror? You’ve probably seen it in movie form already where the term used is ‘costume horror’ or ‘period horror’ (Crimson Peak, The Witch, Black Death, Ravenous, etc.). The generally accepted definition for historical fiction is any history or any events that occurred fifty or more years prior…
A Realistic Guide to Indie Publishing
By Author Julee Balko So, you wrote a novel. First, congrats. Seriously, take a moment and breathe in that accomplishment because the path forward is about to get bumpy. Wait, did you think the path to get to the words “The End” was hard? Ok, so I’m assuming you have a completed novel in one hand…
Writer Tips with Senior Literary Agent Jessica Reino
Editor’s Note: In this video we sat down with literary agent, author, and former editor/author coach Jessica Reino to ask our most burning writer questions. What are the most common writer mistakes? Do you need a social media platform to publish? (we were surprised to hear, NO!) What makes for a great writer-editor relationship? How…
10 Young Adult (YA) Agents and What They’re Looking For Right Now
Article by Savannah Cordova @ Reedsy Young adult fiction, or YA, has been a burgeoning literary category for the past decade or so—and luckily for those writing YA, it doesn’t seem to be going away! On that note, while self-publishing your YA book is always an option, most authors will have the greatest success if they work…
