FEAR: Why Humans Crave Stories That Disturb Them

Fear is, in all likelihood, the single most complex human emotion. Our fears can keep us up at night, but they can also be the only thing that keeps us alive. They can save us, strangle us, liberate us or even destroy us. Like fire, fear can be mesmerizing and for sound reasons. We understand …

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This is Gonna Leave a Mark: What Makes a “Real” Writer?

Those who’ve followed my blog long enough know I’m no fan of the Schrodinger’s Writer Game. Is the writer real or unreal? What IS a real writer? For ages, we quibbled that a real writer had an agent. A real writer scored a legacy publishing deal. One had to pass the NYC gatekeepers to be …

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Field Guide to the North American Beta Reader

beta reader

We’re all hunters here, searching for the elusive, nearly mythical creature known only as the Good Beta Reader. The feeling of finding a good beta reader is a lot like what Japanese marine researchers felt when they caught the first image of the giant squid in 2013. Read about it here because it’s just so …

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How to Use Twitter to Connect with Fans & Build a POWERFUL Brand

Last post was some tongue-and-cheek fun pointing out how brands (particularly author brands) abuse Twitter. Today, I want to shift gears and chat some about how writers—actually ALL brands—can use Twitter far more effectively. Currently, too many writers are like Stormtroopers—lots of shots fired  tweets that hit NOTHING. Admittedly, when I got on Twitter (practically when it was invented) …

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8 Ways to Make People on Twitter Want to STAB US IN THE FACE

Twitter used to be my absolute FAVORITE social site. Sure, I had a Facebook account but the real fun was always on Twitter…especially once I created the #MyWANA community so all the writers could socialize. We laughed, talked about all the stuff “normal people” don’t get, and even had parties—*fondly remembers Sharknado Party of 2013*. …

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