Writing Tips

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Beating the Sloggy, Saggy, Soggy Middle

Posted by on Aug 23, 2013 in Writing Tips | 3 comments

Something horrible happens when I hit the middle of a first draft. The middle is just…the middle…the long, rambling second act. As soon as I arrive at that no-man’s land midpoint, it suddenly feels like I’m wading in mud waist-deep. All I can see are characters that sound the same, weak plot points, and I get STUCK and SUCK wind with a capital “S”. I start questioning myself. Should I scrap these pathetic pages? Is this novel complete tripe? For camaraderie and a kick in the...

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Pitch Madness Contest & Pitch Help to the Rescue!

Posted by on Aug 20, 2013 in Contests & Hops, Writing Tips | 70 comments

It’s that time of year again! Pitch Madness, hosted by Brenda Drake, will take over Twitter and the blogs of several willing Fairy Slush Godmothers divided into teams, including moi. We will be sorting through your best pitches and 250 words. Once we have chosen our favs, we select you for our team and post your entries on the appointed blog where 15 agents will peruse them to request pages. But here’s the kicker. There’s only a 24 hour window you can submit! DEETS: Submit...

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Exciting News! The Debutante Ball Class of 2014

Posted by on Aug 11, 2013 in Writing Tips | 9 comments

I just discovered that I’ve been selected as one of five debut authors to join the popular writing blog, The Debutante Ball! *Snoopy dance* I’m thrilled to be among such talent! Every year five debut female writers are chosen to write weekly articles on the blog. We write about a new topic that links to a personal story and our writing journeys. We also interview some high-powered authors! It’s a competitive selection process and I’m over the moon to be among the new...

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Fall Conference Mania

Posted by on Aug 6, 2013 in Writing Tips | 2 comments

A few weeks more and we’ll find ourselves winding down from our summer routines and gearing up for fall– a busy time in the publishing industry, a busy time for writers! I, for one, will be on a plane headed to Colorado to attend a conference. Is anyone else looking forward to a con? Let’s take a look at a few coming soon. SEPTEMBER Slice Literary Writer’s Conference: This con takes place Sept 7-8th in Brooklyn, NY. Click HERE for more details. New York Pitch Conference:...

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Becoming Josephine Cover Revealed! And a Contest

Posted by on Jul 12, 2013 in Writing Tips | 36 comments

At long last, I’m THRILLED to share my cover of BECOMING JOSEPHINE with you! Plume Books did a beautiful job creating something elegant and I couldn’t be happier! Look for its release December 31, 2013 or pre-order now (see links below)! CONTEST: Before we ogle the cover, let’s talk a little about the contest! 1. Leave a comment here (or on my Facebook page) and your name goes into the drawing for either a $20 gift card to B & N  or Amazon. I’m giving away two cards...

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Ask #Publaw: Are Pseudonyms Legal?

Posted by on Jul 10, 2013 in Writing Tips | 2 comments

It’s Wednesday and time for our next addition of #Publaw. Susan Spann is back with us today to talk about pen names–a common question that affects many authors. Without further ado, I give you Susan… Do I have to take any legal steps in order to use a pseudonym? Authors can publish under a pseudonym (aka “pen name”) without legal problems as long as the author complies with applicable laws and regulations (if any) and doesn’t use the pseudonym for fraud or other illegal...

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