Onward!

Welcome to the new year, everyone! Here’s wishing all of you a marvelous 2014. My dear friend Katherine Garbera was blogging about goals over at the Jaunty Quills, and she had an interesting way of looking at the new year. This year, instead of making a list (although she is an inveterate list maker and checker-offer), she’s choosing a word to direct her year. She chose adventure. I...
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RWA National: The Courageous Writer: Power Through the Fear

Considering my last couple of years have been like a tunnel, this workshop really hit the spot. Aspiring author Fae Rowen, debut author Laura Drake, and NYT bestselling historical author Tessa Dare shared a passel of wisdom about the fears that crop up in all stages of the writing career, how to face them, and how to get past them so you can be productive. Here are some highlights: “There...
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RWA National: Doing It All Over Again: Writing Novels in a Series

New York Times bestselling authors Eloisa James and Sarah MacLean and their editor, Carrie Ferron of Avon, delivered a solid hour of  information for those of us planning a series of novels. Although the thought of planning a series, like James’s Desperate Duchesses, and MacLean’s Scoundrels, seems daunting, it becomes less so when you consider the following: CONNECTIONS: What is it...
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RWA National: New Adult: Young Adult Books “Grow Up”

Subtitled “Everything You Want to Know About the Hottest Genre in Publishing,” writers Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cora Carmack, and Molly McAdams, agents Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary, and Avon editor Tessa Woodward discussed the emergence of the New Adult subgenre. Here are some highlights from their talk: New Adult focuses on the...
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RWA National: The Joy of Writing, With or Without a Contract

After the last year or two I’ve had, my writer self needed some TLC. Authors Dani Collins and Cathryn Parry presented several strategies to get yourself unmoored and productive. They provided a series of tools to tackle difficult writing situations. COPING STRATEGIES: If you’re struggling with self-doubt, ask yourself “Why do I write?” and “What is success to...
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