Writing for Adults

A weekly look at ways to improve your craft and further your writing education while writing for adult genres such as romance, mystery, thriller, horror, and adventure. To have these articles, hot markets accepting submissions, and cool writer resources delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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Avoiding the “As You Know Bob…”s
January 14, 2020
Avoiding the “As You Know Bob…”s The right way to add backstory to your dialogue by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Punctuating Dialogue
January 7, 2020
Punctuating Dialogue A primer for dialogue punctuation by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, novels, writing for adults
The Enemies of Goal Keeping
December 31, 2019
The Enemies of Goal Keeping How to win when your goals are under attack by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
The Most Powerful Writing Tool
December 24, 2019
The Most Powerful Writing Tool Do you know what it is? by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
Your Plan—The Arrow to Hit the Bull’s Eye
December 17, 2019
Your Plan—The Arrow to Hit the Bull's Eye A practical way to set writing goals by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
178: Revision Power Tips
December 14, 2019
Revision Power Tips 5 Tips to Rev Up Your Opening
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Filed under: Podcast, novels, revision, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, Writing nonfiction for children
The Goal of Having Goals Is Hitting Your Target
December 10, 2019
The Goal of Having Goals Is Hitting Your Target Think about your goals before writing them down. by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
How Was Your Writing Year?
December 3, 2019
How Was Your Writing Year? You can learn from failure—if you pay attention by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
The Waiting Game
November 26, 2019
The Waiting Game Things to do while you're on submission by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, time management, writing for adults
Have You Considered Essays?
November 21, 2019
Have You Considered Essays? Expanding your markets can expand your success.
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Filed under: Writing for Children Blog, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, Writing nonfiction for children
Tips for Getting Past the Gatekeeper
November 19, 2019
Tips for Getting Past the Gatekeeper 10 reasons manuscripts are automatically rejected by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, writing for adults
Crossing Over Into Writing for Adults
November 14, 2019
Crossing Over Into Writing for Adults Can kidlit writers write for an older crowd?
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Filed under: Writing for Children Blog, Submissions, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
How to Avoid an Automatic Rejection
November 12, 2019
How to Avoid an Automatic Rejection 10 reasons manuscripts are automatically rejected by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, writing for adults
What Are Agents Looking For?
November 5, 2019
What Are Agents Looking For? Finding and following submission guidelines by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions
Building A Better Bibliography
October 29, 2019
Building A Better Bibliography What sources matter most? By Leslie Wyatt, Updated by Kelly Milner Halls Adapted from Searching: A Research Guide for Writers
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, research tips, writing for adults, Writing nonfiction for children
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them – Part 2
October 22, 2019
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them Part 2 Adapted from Searching: A Research Guide for Writers
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them – Part 1
October 15, 2019
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them Part 1 Adapted from Searching: A Research Guide for Writers
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, novels, writing for adults, writing for magazines
170: Finding Markets for Your Writing
October 11, 2019
Finding Markets for Your Writing Researching the perfect fit.
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Filed under: Podcast, marketing, Submissions, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Steps on the Research Road Part 2
October 8, 2019
Steps on the Research Road Part 2 Adapted from Searching: A Research Guide for Writers
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
169: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
October 4, 2019
Interview with Susan Campbell Bartoletti It's all about the details.
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Filed under: Podcast, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Steps on the Research Road Part 1
October 1, 2019
Steps on the Research Road Part 1 Adapted from Searching: A Research Guide for Writers
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Winning Nonfiction: A Path for Revision
September 24, 2019
Winning Nonfiction: A Path for Revision Focus on the details. by Victoria Sherrow
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, novels
Revising: A Time to Fine-Tune Your Style
September 17, 2019
Revising: A Time to Fine-Tune Your Style Making your writing more distinctive. by Victoria Sherrow
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, revision, writing for adults
Revising for a Strong Start
September 10, 2019
Revising for a Strong Start A checklist for hooking your reader. by Victoria Sherrow
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, revision, writing for adults
Do You Need to Cut?
September 3, 2019
Do You Need to Cut? A Revision Checklist by Victoria Sherrow
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, revision, writing for adults
Scoring a Regular Freelancing Gig
August 27, 2019
Scoring a Regular Freelancing Gig Increasing your chances of becoming a regular freelancer by Emily Allen
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, writing for adults
Mining Magazine Markets
August 20, 2019
Mining Magazine Markets Discovering markets you didn't know existed by Emily Allen
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for magazines
162: Setting Conference Expectations Part 1
August 16, 2019
What to Expect When You're Expecting to Go to a Writing Conference Part 1 Getting ready for your next writing conference
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Filed under: Podcast, time management, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
Crafting the Perfect Pitch
August 13, 2019
Crafting the Perfect Pitch Tips for getting closer to yes! by Emily Allen
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, Submissions, writing for adults
Research You Need to Do Before Querying
August 6, 2019
Research You Need to Do Before Querying Targeted submissions can lead to success. by Emily Allen
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, writing for magazines
160: Interview with David Katz
August 2, 2019
Interview with David Katz Tips for getting the most out of a writers conference
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Filed under: Podcast, craft, Submissions, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
5 Common Questions About Author Platform
July 30, 2019
5 Common Questions About Author Platform From writers like you! by Katie Davis
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, book marketing, writing for adults
Winners' Circle - Debbie Roy
July 26, 2019
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Filed under: Winners' Circle, contests, writing for adults
Building Author Brand Engagement
July 23, 2019
Building Author Brand Engagement It's not about the numbers. by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, book marketing, writing for adults
158: 34 Things Your Website Needs Part 1
July 19, 2019
34 Things Your Website Needs Part 1
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Filed under: Podcast, book marketing, marketing, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Finding Your Target Market
July 16, 2019
Finding Your Target Market Researching and testing your audience by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, book marketing, marketing, writing for adults
Defining Your Author Brand - Part 2
July 9, 2019
Defining Your Author Brand Part 2 by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, marketing, writing for adults
Defining Your Author Brand - Part 1
July 2, 2019
Defining Your Author Brand Part 1 by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, marketing, writing for adults
155: Is It a Memoir or an Autobiography?
June 28, 2019
Is It a Memoir or an Autobiography? From Real Life to Written Page
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Filed under: Podcast, craft, novels, writing for adults, Writing nonfiction for children
From Real Life to the Written Page: Inspired by People You Know or Have Met
June 25, 2019
From Real Life to the Written Page: Inspired by People You Know or Have Met by SM Ford
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Self-Care Matters
June 20, 2019
Self-Care Matters Smart writers remember they need care too.
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Filed under: Writing for Children Blog, time management, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Your Emotions and Beliefs
June 18, 2019
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Your Emotions and Beliefs by SM Ford
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Others’ Experiences Along with Your Own
June 11, 2019
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Others' Experiences Along with Your Own by SM Ford
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Where You’ve Lived
June 4, 2019
From Real Life to the Written Page: Using Where You've Lived by SM Ford
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Hooking the Reader
May 28, 2019
Hooking the Reader by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Setting as a Character
May 21, 2019
Setting as a Character by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Winners' Circle - R. Victoria Patterson
May 17, 2019
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Filed under: Winners' Circle, craft, writing for adults
Editing Descriptions to Move Your Story Forward
May 14, 2019
Editing Descriptions to Move Your Story Forward by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Editing Scene Imagery to Move Your Story Forward
May 7, 2019
Editing Scene Imagery to Move Your Story Forward by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, revision, writing for adults
Six Step-by-Steps for Your Book Marketing Plan
April 30, 2019
Six Step-by-Steps for Your Book Marketing Plan by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, marketing, writing for adults
146: 9 Tips to Keep You Unstuck
April 26, 2019
9 Tips to Keep You Unstuck Procrastination is a self-fulfilling prophesy.
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Filed under: Podcast, time management, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
Top 3 Sources of Writer's Block (& How to Jump Over Them Now)
April 23, 2019
Top 3 Sources of Writer's Block (And how to jump over them now) by Kristin J. Dawson
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
How to Avoid Writer's Block
April 16, 2019
How to Avoid Writer’s Block Pitch Yourself to Stay on Target by Mary Blount Christian
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
144: The Value of a Critique
April 12, 2019
The Value of a Critique Getting Your Manuscript Submission Ready
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Filed under: Podcast, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, Writing nonfiction for children
Breaking Through Writer’s Block
April 9, 2019
Breaking Through Writer’s Block Stuck Is a Symptom, Not the Cause by Mary Blount Christian
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
Live Long and Prosper with Verisimilitude and Suspension of Disbelief
April 2, 2019
Live Long and Prosper ... with Verisimilitude and Suspension of Disbelief by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Character Arc and Conflict—You Can’t Have One without the Other
March 19, 2019
Character Arc and Conflict You can't have one without the other. by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
The Forge for Your Characters—Life Experiences
March 12, 2019
The Forge for Your Character—Life Experiences Determining on your characters' origin story. by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
People Aren't Perfect—Your Characters Shouldn't Be Either
March 5, 2019
People Aren't Perfect. Your Characters Shouldn't Be Either. by Lynne Smith
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Story Development: Writing to Market
February 26, 2019
Story Development: Writing to Market Why it's important to write a marketable book by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, novels, writing for adults
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part Three
February 19, 2019
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board Part Three by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part Two
February 12, 2019
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board Part Two by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, writing for adults
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part One
February 5, 2019
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board Part One by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Setting Up for Success: Excel Spreadsheets
January 29, 2019
Setting Up for Success: Excel Spreadsheets Using Excel to track your progress by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, writing for adults
A Room of One’s Own
January 22, 2019
A Room of One's Own Making a space for success by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
132: Time Blocking
January 18, 2019
Time Blocking What is it and how can it help you get more writing done?
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Filed under: Podcast, time management, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Getting the Chores Done
January 17, 2019
Getting the Chores Done Now is a good time to catch up.
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, revision, time management, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Keeping A Writer’s Notebook
January 15, 2019
Keeping a Writer's Notebook 8 ways to use your writing notebook by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
131: Journal Your Success
January 11, 2019
Journal Your Success Tracking your accomplishments throughout the year
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Filed under: Podcast, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Planning Your Story
January 8, 2019
Planning Your Story Things you should know before you start your novel by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, novels, time management, writing for adults
Getting Organized for Writing in the New Year
January 1, 2019
Getting Organized for Writing in the New Year It's time to plan for success! by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, novels, writing for adults
129: Taking Stock and Planning Ahead
December 28, 2018
Taking Stock and Planning Ahead Identifying what's holding you back
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Filed under: Podcast, time management, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Relax! Ideas for People Who Don't Know What to Do with Their Lives When Not Writing
December 26, 2018
Relax! Ideas for People Who Don't Know What to Do with Their Lives When Not Writing by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
How to Know When to Take a Break from Writing
December 18, 2018
How to Know When to Take a Break from Writing What happens when your writing fails you? by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
How Time-Blocking Can Transform Your Writing
December 11, 2018
How Time-Blocking Can Transform Your Writing Grouping your work into more focused sections of time by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
128: An Interview with Ann Sheybani
December 7, 2018
An Interview with Ann Sheybani How Being a Busy Person Can Help You Get Your Book Written
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Filed under: Podcast, craft, time management, writing for adults
5 Ways to Get Over Writer’s Burnout
December 4, 2018
5 Ways to Get Over Writer's Burnout What to do when your creativity ebbs. by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
Can You Make Money from Amazon Publishing?
November 27, 2018
Can You Make Money from Amazon Publishing? Here's the short answer and the not-so-short answer. by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
Tips for Winning Our Mystery First Pages Writing Contest
November 20, 2018
Tips for Winning Our Mystery First Pages Writing Contest Advice to take your entry to the top. by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, contests, novels, Submissions, writing for adults
The Unorthodox Way I Got a Nonfiction Book Deal
November 13, 2018
The Unorthodox Way I Got a Nonfiction Book Deal There's no one way to sign on the dotted line. by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, Submissions, writing for adults
Why Every Writer Can Benefit From NaNoWriMo
November 6, 2018
Why Every Writer Can Benefit From NaNoWriMo Confessions from a writer too scared to try the challenge. by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
Down and Dirty Plotting
October 30, 2018
Down and Dirty Plotting Techniques for pulling it all together. by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Prepping for NaNoWriMo
October 23, 2018
Prepping for NaNoWriMo Let's get ready! by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, time management, writing for adults
Five Things to Change in Your Novel
October 16, 2018
Five Things to Change in Your Novel Don't miss these in your manuscript by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Beyond Show Don't Tell
October 9, 2018
Beyond Show Don't Tell Letting the reader experience what your characters are experiencing by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Achieving Deep POV
October 2, 2018
Achieving Deep POV The deeper you go, the more the reader is sucked into your story. by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
118: 8 Tips for Your Writer Website
September 28, 2018
8 Tips for Your Writer Website Must-haves for your author platform
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Filed under: Podcast, book marketing, marketing, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
Strunk & White: The Elements of Style
September 25, 2018
Strunk & White - The Elements of Style Virtually everyone calls it a “classic”—and with good reason by Rita Reali
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, revision, writing for adults
117: 5 Tips for Your Amazon Author Page
September 21, 2018
5 Tips for Your Amazon Author Page Making a Great First Impression
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Filed under: Podcast, marketing, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
Stephen King: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
September 18, 2018
Stephen King - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Truly, though, it’s more than a memoir. by Rita Reali
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, revision, writing for adults
A Self-Publishing Primer
September 11, 2018
A Self-Publishing Primer Yes, you really can do it yourself. by Rita Reali
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, book marketing, marketing, writing for adults
115: Dave Chesson - The Kindlepreneur
September 7, 2018
Dave Chesson - The Kindlepreneur An Interview with a Self-Publishing Expert
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Filed under: Podcast, Writing for Adults Blog, book marketing, marketing, writing for adults, writing for children and teens, writing for magazines, Writing nonfiction for children
Carroll Dale Short: A Writer’s Tool Kit
September 4, 2018
Carroll Dale Short - A Writer's Tool Kit A concise book of tips to improve your writing. What more do you need? by Rita Reali
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Filed under: writing craft, Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
Query Writing 101
August 28, 2018
Query Writing 101 by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, Submissions, writing for adults
Finding a Writing Course That's Right For You
August 21, 2018
Finding a Writing Course That's Right For You by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, writing for adults
10 Things That Make Editors Cringe
August 14, 2018
10 Things That Make Editors Cringe by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, craft, revision, writing for adults
Getting the Most Out of a Writer's Conference
August 7, 2018
Getting the Most Out of a Writer's Conference by Jamie K. Schmidt
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Filed under: Writing for Adults Blog, writing for adults
Okay, I’ve Finished My Revision. Now What?
July 31, 2018
Okay, I’ve Finished My Revision. Now What? by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, revision, writing for adults
We All Have a Story About a Trip That Didn’t Go As Planned
July 24, 2018
We All Have a Story About a Trip That Didn’t Go As Planned Submit yours … perhaps you’ll win! by Rita Reali
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Filed under: contests, writing for adults
Who’s Ready to Do Some Literary Gardening?
July 17, 2018
Who’s Ready to Do Some Literary Gardening? Taking the Pruning Shears to Your Manuscript to Lose the Verbiage* by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, revision, writing for adults
Revision: An Overwhelming Project
July 10, 2018
Revision: An Overwhelming Project "How Do I Even Know Where to Start?!" by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Revision: Your First Step to Fantastic Writing
July 3, 2018
Revision: Your First Step to Fantastic Writing Do you know where to start? by Rita Reali
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Filed under: writing for adults
What You Should Consider Before Writing About Your Life Online
June 26, 2018
What You Should Consider Before Writing About Your Life Online Questions to ask yourself before you put your stories out there. by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: writing for adults
How to Get Started as a Travel Writer
June 19, 2018
How to Get Started as a Travel Writer Tips for turning the dream into a reality by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults, writing for magazines
8 Tips for Sourcing Your Articles
June 12, 2018
8 Tips for Sourcing Your Articles Strategies for good research by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: writing for adults
How to Turn Your Experiences into Stories
June 5, 2018
How to Turn Your Experiences into Stories Making stories about your life engaging for readers by Chaunie Brusie
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Character Development: A Few Final Thoughts
May 29, 2018
Character Development A Few Final Thoughts by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Everyone’s Got a Story to Tell. What’s Yours?
May 22, 2018
Everyone’s Got a Story to Tell. What’s Yours? by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Writing a Character Who Has Cancer
May 15, 2018
Writing a Character Who Has Cancer This is NOT what we mean by "Kill Your Darlings" by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Character Development, Part Deux
May 8, 2018
Character Development, Part Deux Creating a Well-rounded Character Just Got More Fun! by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Three Keys to Believable Three-dimensional Characters
May 1, 2018
Three Keys to Believable Three-dimensional Characters Know their names, their motivations, and their fears by Rita Reali
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Anatomy of a Score Sheet
April 24, 2018
Anatomy of a Score Sheet What are judges looking for? by Jamie K. Schimdt
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Filed under: contests, writing for adults
Predatory Contests
April 17, 2018
Predatory Contests 5 Ways to Spot a Fake by Jamie K. Schimdt
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Filed under: contests, writing for adults
095: Why Entering a Contest Helps YOU
April 13, 2018
Why Entering a Contest Helps YOU An Interview with ICL Contest Judge Nancy Coffelt
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Filed under: Podcast, writing for adults
Tweet Your Way to Representation
April 10, 2018
Tweet Your Way to Representation No, seriously. by Jamie K. Schimdt
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Filed under: Submissions, writing for adults
Want Professional Feedback on Your Writing? Enter a Contest.
April 3, 2018
Want Professional Feedback on Your Writing? Enter a Contest. by Jamie K. Schimdt
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Filed under: writing for adults
How to Take Your Own Writer’s Retreat
March 27, 2018
How to Take Your Own Writer’s Retreat by Chaunie Brusie As a writer who works from home with four young children, there is one fantasy that constantly makes its way into my mind—and it has...
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Filed under: time management, writing for adults
7 Ways to Connect More with People as a Writer
March 20, 2018
7 Ways to Connect More with People as a Writer by Chaunie Brusie As a writer, do you ever feel a little, well, disconnected from the world? Are there ever entire days that pass before you...
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Filed under: writing for adults
Tips for Using Scrivener for Story Development
March 13, 2018
Tips for Using Scrivener for Story Development by Chaunie Brusie Like many writers, I am aspiring to write the next great American novel. Well, actually, that might be a slight exaggeration. ...
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Filed under: writing for adults
To Outline or Not to Outline: That is The Question
March 6, 2018
To Outline or Not to Outline: That is The Question by Chaunie Brusie There are two types of writers in this world: the kind who outline and the kind who don’t. OK, so that may be a slight...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Can You Write Science Fiction That Will Survive My Scoff-o-Meter?
February 27, 2018
Can You Write Science Fiction That Will Survive My Scoff-o-Meter? by Rita Reali I won’t mince words here. I always hated sci-fi. There. I’ve said it. I realize those are gasps of disbelief...
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Memoir vs. Autobiography: What’s the Difference, Anyway?
February 20, 2018
How do I go about writing a memoir? by Rita Reali As an editor, I often get asked, “What’s the difference between an autobiography and a memoir?” In framing my answer, I sometimes reply, ...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
(Brow)beaten Into Submission?
February 13, 2018
(Brow)beaten Into Submission? Submit only when your work is ready, not when your family or friends think you should. by Rita Reali Sometimes, the most well-meaning folks can do the greatest...
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Filed under: craft, Submissions, writing for adults
The First Step to Getting Published … Submissions
February 6, 2018
The First Step to Getting Published … Submissions by Rita Reali Writing is a noble proposition, in and of itself. Published writing is something else entirely. And paid published...
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Filed under: writing for adults
Idea Starters: Lo-Jack and High Tech
January 30, 2018
Idea Starters—Lo-Jack and High Tech By Andrea King Collier We’ve talked about many ways to use idea starters. Most of the time they don’t need to be based on fancy systems with lots of features. ...
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Filed under: writing for adults
Idea Starters: Map Your Ideas
January 23, 2018
Idea Starters: Map Your Ideas by Andrea Collier An offshoot of mining for stories is mapping ideas. For me, it started as a way to think about and control how much money I make on my stories. ...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Idea Starters: Mining Your Stash
January 16, 2018
Idea Starters: Mining Your Stash by Andrea Collier If you are like me, writing can be a series of stops and starts. It is all a part of the process. I have a ton of ideas that may have been...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Where to Find Great Ideas
January 9, 2018
Where to Find Great Ideas by Andrea Collier The Hunt for Good Ideas Last week, we talked about having a system in place to keep your ideas organized, now it’s time to dig deep into where...
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Filed under: craft, writing for adults
Organizing Your Ideas
January 2, 2018
Organizing Your Ideas by Guest Blogger Andrea Collier As we start a new year, we also often face the big scary thing—a blank page of a new project. If you’re lucky, you already have an idea for...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Five Steps to Reprinting Song Lyrics Without Getting Sued
December 26, 2017
Five Steps to Reprinting Song Lyrics Without Getting Sued by Rita Reali Some years ago, an aspiring novelist told me his main character had a penchant for speaking in song lyrics. I found...
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Filed under: writing for adults
A Self-Publishing Primer
December 19, 2017
A Self-Publishing Primer by Rita Reali You’ve done your outline, carefully completed extensive research, and fleshed out your protagonist, antagonist, and assorted minor characters. You’ve...
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Filed under: book marketing, marketing, writing for adults
Method to My Madness Part 2
December 12, 2017
Method to My Madness, Part 2 by Rita Reali Last week I touched on how I began writing fiction—and how my first two characters (Gary and Michaela) dropped in on me, unannounced, in freshman...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
How—and Why—I Do What I Do
December 5, 2017
The Method to My Madness—Sort Of  (Or How—and Why—I Do What I Do) by Rita Reali I often get asked about my process. How do you write your novels? Where do you begin? How do you keep going? And...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Profile of a Successful Freelance Writer
November 28, 2017
Profile of a Successful Freelance Writer by Chaunie Brusie Today our guest blogger, Chaunie Brusie, is profiling successful freelance writer and mother of three, Mary Sauer. Mary has been...
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Filed under: time management, writing for adults
How to Break into Freelance Writing
November 21, 2017
How to Break into Freelance Writing by Chaunie Brusie Not too long ago, I was burning with jealousy whenever I would come across a writer’s byline. “Why her?” I would think, “how did she...
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Filed under: marketing, time management, writing for adults
Creating a Writing Schedule That Works
November 14, 2017
Creating a Writing Schedule That Works by Chaunie Brusie You sit down to your computer, the entire world literally at your fingertips, your hot cup of coffee next to you, determined to crank...
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Filed under: time management, writing for adults
How to write from home with kids
November 7, 2017
How to write from home with kids By Chaunie Brusie I’m about to tell you something that may shock you, titillate you, maybe even horrify you, but it is my truth and I am willing to speak...
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Filed under: time management, writing for adults
Putting It All Together
October 31, 2017
Putting It All Together by Andrea Collier We’ve talked about voice, tone, and humor. We’ve also discussed viewpoint. But how do we make it all work seamlessly? And can you use the same tools...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Whose Story is it Anyway? Thoughts on Viewpoint
October 24, 2017
Whose Story is it Anyway… Viewpoint  by Andrea Collier When I start a story, I visualize myself in a room full of people. I pace the room. I look at the people and I try to guess the best...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Interjecting Humor in Your Work
October 17, 2017
Interjecting Humor in Your Work by Andrea Collier Out of all the style tools we describe in this series on tone and voice, interjecting humor is probably the most difficult to pull off well. ...
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Filed under: writing craft, writing for adults
Finding the Right Tone for Your Story
October 10, 2017
Finding the Right Tone for Your Story by Andrea Collier We’ve talked about “voice” now it is time to meet its twin sister, “tone.” If you are writing for publication, or for a specific...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults, writing for magazines
Training Your Writer’s Voice to Come Out to Play
October 3, 2017
Training Your Writer’s Voice to Come Out to Play by Andrea Collier When I first started writing in earnest I would mimic the authors that I admired. I studied how they put words on the page. ...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Six Ways to Gear Up for NaNoWriMo Now!
September 26, 2017
Why Wait? Six Ways to Gear Up for NaNoWriMo Now! by Rita Reali It’s coming! Are you ready? You’re probably asking, “What’s coming?” Why, National Novel Writing Month, of course. It rolls...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Comma Long With Me and Celebrate Punctuation Day
September 19, 2017
Comma Long With Me and Celebrate Punctuation Day by Rita Reali It’s like they created a day just for folks like me, people who are (admittedly or not) obsessed with punctuation… proper...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Author's Day and Stress Awareness Day
September 12, 2017
Two Celebrations That Go Hand in Hand: Authors Day and Stress Awareness Day by Rita Reali If you’re a writer, chances are you know a thing or three about stress. And that’s a good thing. No, ...
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Filed under: writing for adults
September’s a Month for Literary Celebrations
September 5, 2017
September’s a Month for Literary Celebrations by Rita Reali This month we celebrate a hat trick of days of particular note: September 6th is Read A Book Day. September 7th is Buy A Book Day. ...
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Filed under: writing craft, writing for adults
Do All Novels Need To Be About Young People?
August 29, 2017
Do All Novels Need To Be About Young People? by Jeff Vasishta A look at 7 recent successful novels where the main protagonists were Middle-Aged In writing courses you’ll hear professors...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults
Weaving Pop Culture Into Your Writing
August 15, 2017
Pop culture - Why it's so important in fiction today and how to weave it into your writing (without dating your work) by Jeff Vasishta As a journalist I’m sent a lot of novels and choosing...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults, writing for children and teens
7 Ways to "Cheat" Writing Inspiration
August 8, 2017
by Jeff Vasishta Waiting for inspiration to strike could take a lifetime. Here are 7 ways to jumpstart your writing without having to wait around. Songwriters are known for using personal...
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Filed under: writing for adults
Opening Lines: The Most Important Part of Your Story
August 1, 2017
by Jeff Vasishta A newspaper headline serves one purpose–to make you want to read the article beneath it. The opening sentence in a novel tries to do something similar. It should make you want to...
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Filed under: writing craft, craft, writing for adults

 

 

 

 

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