Biz

Randy Rooney

Sue the Nymph

I was talking on the phone to my friend John when a pickup truck turned into my driveway. The sign on the side of the truck said SAM’S PLUMBING AND VAMPIRE REMUVAL SERVICES.

“Hey, John, gotta go. Looks like a problem brewing.” I slammed down the phone without waiting for an answer and went...

Word For Words

Making the Most of Working with Editors

At some point in our calling as writers we’ll work with an editor, whether a professional we’ve hired to review our work, or a friend we’ve asked for help.

There’s a fallacy about editors that “those who can, do; and those who can’t, teach.” But good editors often write just as well and should have the writers’ best interest at heart. When selecting an editor, you want...

Screenwriting 101

Developing A Great Story

Writer’s block is something of a myth born through isolation. Brainstorming with a friend or observing unique behavioral qualities of a person you’ve yet to meet can clearly spark plenty of creative ideas. Writer Willa Cather, while arguing about Nebraska being a “storehouse of literary material,” shared that there is an abundance of inspiration...

POD and Self-Publishing

To Kindle or Not to Kindle-That Is the Question

If you want to survive in the publishing jungle, especially as a self-published author, you need to not only join but also embrace twenty-first century technology. Obviously you have already employed a computer if you are reading this post. Being able to browse and read is cool, but you’ll need to become even more savvy about the computer potential for getting...

Bookclubs

Bookclub Prepearation

What’s the big deal about preparing for book club? Read a book, show up, and talk about the book. It’s easy, right? Yes, but if you read the book too early, strange things can happen. Here’s a peek inside a meeting I had my first year.

“Hey, ladies, how many of you loved The Resurrection File by Craig Parshall as...