Scared to Write the Full Truth About Your Family Members? I Hear You The Power of AND – When It comes to Writing the People in Your Life I’m going to write a sentence that shocks even me. My father was both a racist and not a racist. When I go to write about him, […]
Interview with Author, Brian Peyton Joyner
Marni: Where did the title “The Wisdom of Stones” come from? Brian: I started writing in 2010, and one of the best things I did was to join a writing practice group. During one writing session, the prompt was to write about a collection. I came up with a story about a six-year-old boy named Ben. […]
THE BIG BOLD LIST OF 55 ARCHETYPES
THE BIG BOLD LIST OF 55 ARCHETYPES Utilizing archetypes as grounding for character creation is a priceless and effective (not to mention time-honored) writing tool. “Using archetypes as a basis for your characters can give them the appearance of weight very quickly, because each type expresses a fundamental pattern that the audience recognizes, and this […]
The 5 Question Interview with Brooke Warner, Head of She Writes Press
The Five Question Interview with Brooke Warner Q: She Writes Press is a very impressive endeavor. What lead you to start it up? A: Thanks, Marni. I started SWP because of the climate I was witnessing in traditional publishing at the end of my tenure there. I started a coaching practice, helping authors to get […]
Query THIS!
Query This! by, Lindsey Salatka I did it! I wrote a book. See that item on the top of my list of life goals? Now see me slap a fat check mark next to it. Yippee! Next stop, publishing! Oh, if it were only that easy. I always figured I would self-publish. My life goal […]
How to Start a Novel Series – 5 Steps to Crafting a Strong Story Idea
5 Steps to Crafting a Strong Story Idea A solid story idea is one that can be expressed in one to three sentences. The reader can easily understand whom the story is about and the central conflict the protagonist is facing. A soggy story idea is one where the protagonist is not clearly defined, there […]
FOR THOUGHT LEADERS: The #1 Key to Writing a Best Selling Nonfiction Book
The #1 Key to Writing a Best Selling Nonfiction Book I get asked this question often: How do I stand out in this crowded marketplace where anyone and everyone can write and publish a book? The answer lies coded in the question. True, anyone and everyone can write and publish a book. But not everyone […]
Just F%*#@ING GO TO HAWAII! – How to travel without writer’s guilt…
As a writing coach, this is what I hear from writers as summer nears: “I’m leaving for Hawaii next week but I am packing my lap top and I plan on ten pages a day!” and yet… Two weeks later at our meeting: “Yeah, I didn’t open the laptop. See there was this volcano, and […]
3 Ways to Relieve Your Writing Stress!
3 Ways to Relieve Your Writers Stress Okay so I’m writing a new play. One that I’m very excited about. Haven’t been this excited about a piece of work in years. Years, I tell you. Well a few weeks ago I hit a major stumbling block. The story seemed to come to major stand still […]
Interview with Local Author, Howard Shulman
1) When did you start writing Running from the Mirror and what pushed you to pick up a pen? I started writing my memoir about eight years ago. After reading some great memoirs, like Running with Scissors, The Glass Castle, and Eat Love Pray, I thought I also had a good story to tell. With […]