The best way to have a successful novel is to learn to be a master at generating tension and conflict on every page. Of course we need to have an overall story problem that the protagonist needs to resolve by the end of the story. But, a lot of the story tension responsible for turning …
Tag: WANA
Jan 11 2013
Agent Secrets–Do Writers Need an Agent in the New Publishing Paradigm?
Hey Guys! I know it’s a wild and crazy world. Indie and self-publishing are exploding while traditional publishing is struggling to reinvent itself in the Digital Age. Yet, here’s the thing. Even if you go it alone, it is still a good idea to have an agent. There are contracts and film rights and foreign …
Jan 10 2013
How Many Licks, um Books, Does It Take to Get to the Top of the Best-Seller List?
Most of us, especially when we’re new, want our first short story to be a major contest winner or our first novel to be a runaway success. That’s natural. Of course, this is not reality for us mere mortals. Just like most of us never picked up a violin and magically busted out a flawless …
Jan 09 2013
Blogging for Authors, and How a Banana Slicer Saved My Marriage
Whenever I teach writers about blogging, my first challenge is to talk them off the ledge from panic. What do I TALK about? I have no IDEAAAAASSSS! *breathes into paper bag* And I truly understand this panic, because a lot of social media experts advise writers to blog in a way that is very left-brain. …
Jan 08 2013
10 Ways for an ADD Writer to be OOH! SHINY!…Productive
In the comments in yesterday’s post, my good pal Richard Snow asked how I somehow manage to get a lot of stuff done, despite my having the attention span of a fruit fly…with a bad crack habit. Here are 10 ways to help you be productive even if OOH! SHINY! …even if you tend to …









