Celebrating Independent Authors
Guest Post
by Nicholas C. Rossis
Writers seem to fall into one of two camps: Those who love following the rules and those who love to break them. My view? The rules taught in workshops and classrooms only matter to editors and other authors, not readers. So, here are my rules; the ones no fiction writer should ever break. Continue reading “My Golden Rules of Writing”
Guest Post
by John Kenny
I like to think of myself as something of a renaissance man. Others regard me as a dilettante. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. I perform my own car maintenance and repairs. I sew (some of) my own clothes. I’ve done all the framing, electrical, plumbing and other work in renovating several homes. I create stained glass. I’m a volunteer mentor at my local jail. I also sail, garden, bake and race sprint canoe. Yes, the latter is a real Olympic sport. This year I won two golds in my age category (not quite dead yet) at the National Championships.
I also write when the mood strikes me and/or I make the time.
All of these things enrich my life and I wouldn’t want to do without any of them.
“Self-publishing ate my life,” Eileen Goudge wrote in an IU piece about a month ago. When I read about the amount of work many of you put into your marketing and promotion, I am amazed, horrified, awed, amused, inspired and dismissive, sometimes all in the space of a few seconds. I’ve even felt pangs of guilt for not being as dedicated, but they pass quickly. Continue reading “Reflections of a Casual (and Quirky) Writer”
Guest Post
by Tiana Warner
Nothing beats a good insane character. They’re unpredictable, obsessive, totally spellbinding … and hard to write. Their arcs and motivations can differ completely from ordinary characters. Saying you’re going to write an insane character, however, is like going to a steakhouse and ordering a beef and a wine. You need to get specific. There are about a million types of crazy.
I spent two years studying some of the best crazy characters in order to understand what works best. I even took a university class on abnormal psychology. (Yeah. I went there.) Through it all, I came up with nine ways to intensify the character. For those of you looking to lose your fictional marbles, let me share what I’ve learned. Continue reading “9 Tips for Writing an Insane Character”
Guest Post
by Vicki Lesage
Following the advice of indie authors who’ve been there, you decide to pen a sequel. What? You haven’t? Well you should. It’s daunting – that first book didn’t write itself! – but having multiple books is one of the best ways to increase exposure and sales.
Think of all the energy you put into writing and marketing your first masterpiece. Now your next book can ride that wave of success.
A good sequel should accomplish two things: Continue reading “Sequels as Standalone Books”