How to Get Out of a Rut As a Writer

Ever feel like this as a writer? I just finished a rather lengthy project for a friend and now after two weeks I’m coming back to the novel I am writing.  I started in on a chapter last night and just found that the juices that were flowing two weeks ago had been completely used

Paying Someone to Publish Your E-Book: Pros and Cons

I’m pretty tech savvy, but this is not true of everyone.  There are a multitude of services out there that will produce an e-book for a decent price.  Be wary of some of them because they are a scam, and always get everything in writing even if it is an e-mail.  Remember: Amazon Kindle Direct will

Using Kindle Singles To Boost Your Fan Base

If you are reading this and you are a novelist and you are slaving away at a novel, this post is for you.  You probably have a publisher set deadline or you have set your own if you are a self-publisher like me.  Here is something you can do on those days when you get

Successful Self-Publisher Offers Good Advice

Today I read an article about Charles Orlando and how he turned down the traditional publishing houses to self-publish and had fantastic success. He published through Amazon Createspace and then spent a lot of time blogging and networking through social media, building a fan base and promoting his books through them.  He has already published

How To Write A Persuasive Essay: 10 Steps To Student Success

I have taught AP Comp classes for over 10 years.  In that time, I have picked up some handy tips to teaching students how to write a solid, well constructed and well written essay. Here are the steps: 1. Stick to the Prompt – The prompt may be on an essay test or it may

Pulling Back on the Reigns

I’ve never really ridden in a horse drawn carriage much in life, (but if these gas prices keep going up I may soon do so) but I think of the horse drawn carriage as a perfect metaphor for my writing process. Think of the horse as the wild animal of my imagination, the carriage as the finished product,

Fun With Mindnode

I have seen many posts recently from writers who agonize over organization or simply coming up with great ideas.  My suggestion is to pop on over to Mindnode and download a copy of their program today. Mindnode is a program that works like a virtual chalkboard.  Upon opening the program, you are given a blank screen

Warning: Self Publishers Beware!

I received another e-mail today from a vanity press which shall remain nameless.  I published my first book through them about two years ago and since then have learned several lessons about self-publishing that I would like to pass on any budding novelist who is considering walking down the vanity press route. The e-mail I

The Importance of Outlining

I have taught Advanced Placement writing for over 13 years and have been a writer for over 25 years.  I can tell you that one of the most important skills a writer can develop is an ability to outline. First of all, I want to make sure that the reader understands the difference between outlining

Top 10 Cool Things About Scrivener

I know I’ve written a great deal about Scrivener on my blog, but really, it is one of the best programs for writers out there, and has the potential to help any writer boost their skills through organization, ease of use, and production to multiple formats. First, get the program here.  It costs $49, which